Heavenly blossoms
by Chimuwaku
Summary: Weakness was not an option. Not anymore. She will be strong and she will stop Sasuke without burdening the people she loves. And on top of all that, she will also infiltrate the Akatsuki and learn of its secrets. Even as people come to her rescue, she does not depend on them. Especially when she gets to know Itachi a bit better. Then she starts wondering.. why isn't he heartless?
1. Chapter 1

This is le first chapter. I don't own Naruto. Trust me, it would be so different. But I love both the anime and manga. Anywho, feel free to review and stuff, I love reading them. Criticism is welcome!

* * *

Konoha was a ghost town. Not literally, of course, because ghosts didn't exist. Sakura Haruno firmly held this belief because she felt safer with a lack of supernaturals. However, this was hardly the time to think of such things. Although the silenced night enclosed the village, she had to be careful to avoid being spotted. She was going to defy all reason and all wishes from her fellow friends and mentors; Tsunade would be furious. Kakashi sensei would worry. And Naruto..Naruto would be lonely and sad. She knew this without a doubt. She also hoped that maybe he could understand, unlike the others, why she had to do this. She had stood on the sidelines long enough, watching her best friend attempt to keep that silly promise he made her. It had been a reckless thing she asked of him, too grief stricken to think over her words. Now she had to make things right. She couldn't watch her best friend chase after their now twisted, former teammate. Sasuke had to be stopped.

They both loved him, especially Sakura. Her heart still ached for him, although she understood it could never be. If she truly loved him, she would put an end to this. She had to stop him before he became any worse. She had to kill Sasuke.

She knew she may die. She didn't care. This wasn't about playing the hero and saving the day. This was about finally going out there and trying something she had been too afraid to do. And hopefully, somehow she could do it. First, she would talk to him. She wouldn't beg him to return or talk of her love, she would just try to communicate with him. All they've done since he left was beg and sob. But maybe, just maybe he was lonely, and if she could reach out to him in some way he would want to return.

She knew it was wishful thinking.

That was why she came into this fully prepared to fight. Her weapons were ready, her chakra was full, and best of all she knew where he would be. Studying under Tsunade meant that sometimes she overheard and saw things that were top-secret.

Earlier today, she happened to walk by the hokages office to hear a certain name uttered. They were talking about Sasuke. Although she knew it was wrong, she pressed her ear up against the door to listen.

"Tsunade sama, what should we do?"

"Hm". Sakura could easily imagine her hunched over the desk, pondering the situation.

"We know where they will be, it only makes sense to go after them. Whether we get there in time..is up to fate. Sasuke would no doubt be the easiest to retrieve. The other..you would have to kill. And although I do not doubt the strength of anbu, I think that mission is near impossible."

The words she heard confused her. Who was this other person? Was Sasuke teaming up with someone now? Did he have a new team seven of his own? The thought tugged at her already aching heart.

"Here is the list of who I want to go after them. Make sure Kakashi keeps this from his students. It's too risky to involve them. I wouldn't even involve Kakashi if I could avoid it, but I can't. Your mission is to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha, preferably alive. As you know, they're in the nearby forest."

Sakura ran off then, a plan instantly forming in her head. She knew they would not be able to return him alive unless he was willing. They wouldn't be able to persuade him. She had to do this, and she had to get a head start before the mission officially began. That was why she left in the dead of the night.

She slipped out in the shadows. Sneaking out of konoha had been easier than she thought. The moment her foot touched the soil of the forest, she took off into a run. Luckily, she knew how to go about tracking someone. It appeared that Sasuke wasn't concerned about covering his tracks, something that surprised her. This could be a trap, why else would he be so reckless? Or maybe he was in a hurry, but what for? Quicker than ever before, she silently jumped from tree to tree towards a nearby hideout where unbeknownst to her, two Uchiha were fighting to the death.

It was early morning when she finally arrived, yet you wouldn't guess it by the hazy darkness that still lingered. The clouds cloaked the sun almost fully, causing a grey atmosphere to illuminate the world. The time of day didn't matter to Sakura. Nothing mattered save the disastrous battlefield that now lay before her eyes. Rubble was everywhere. It appeared as if a war had gone on unbeknownst to the rest of the world. She looked around in fearful awe. _Sasuke kun..what happened?_

Silence was given as an answer, but she didn't need to hear anything. She saw two dark figures lying side by side and instantly understood. Her feet reacted faster than her brain and in a moment she was by her friend, kneeling beside his injured self.

"Sasuke kun.." she spoke softly, reaching out to lay a hand against his chest. She had always wanted to touch him like this before, however she had completely different reasons now. She just wanted to know he was alive. She held her breath, waiting to feel something. When his chest finally rose and fell, she let out the air in her lungs in a thankful, breathy sigh. Although his breathing was irregular and dangerously low, he was alive.

Then, of course, she remembered why she was here. She had left to kill him and this was the perfect opportunity. He was so vulnerable and weak that she could end his life painlessly. She had originally planned on talking to him first though, to at least see if there was any hope. If she could cling to that hope, she would have, but if she knew without a doubt he was evil and she couldn't change that, she would have been ready to end it there. At least, she thought so. But now there was no talking to him. She knew in her mind that it was not a good reason not to kill him. It was incredibly unlikely that he could be saved. She loved him so dearly though, and her heart begged her to cling to that love. Then she thought of Naruto. What would he think if she had killed him in cold blood, without at least trying to save him one more time? He might hate her. She couldn't bear that .

Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them spill. She had to be strong.

"Sasuke kun..gomennasai." she apologized although she knew she had done nothing wrong.

Her heart ached for him and she knew she could not end his life, not like this. No doubt next time she wouldn't have as good an opportunity, but at least it would be fair. Her hand now searched for his greatest injuries, the chakra in her hand glowing radiantly. This went against her whole reason for leaving, but she wouldn't let him die like this. She continued healing him for a couple of minutes before finally giving a second glance to the other body. All she needed to see was the akatsuki cloak to know who it was, but her eyes followed up his body and to his face. The face of a heartless murderer who had troubled Sasuke for so long. A person who had betrayed his village and his family in one of the worst possible way. It was his fault that her and Naruto had lost their best friend. He was the reason Sasuke was like this. He had tormented the boy she had fallen in love with many years ago, creating a need for vengeance inside of him. He had taken Sasuke from konoha. He was Itachi Uchiha, the man who had killed everyone in the Uchiha Massacre. He was Sasuke's older brother.

You couldn't tell he was evil by the way he now looked. It almost seemed like he had smiled. It appeared in the end he had been happy. _Or more likely it was some cruel smile meant to hurt Sasuke kun even more._

She had only laid eyes on him once or twice, and the two never really interacted before. It was hard to say she hated a man she barely knew, but she knew of him, of his terrible crimes and of the suffering he put Sasuke through. She was unable to truthfully say she hated him personally, but she hated the things he had done, the things he still did, and who he allied himself with. Not only did he take Sasuke away, but he worked with a group of missing nin who wanted to hurt Naruto. So although Itachi did nothing to her directly, his actions indirectly resulted in everyone she loved being ripped apart.

She crawled over to him cautiously. Although he appeared lifeless, she had to make sure. She hoped he was dead, or else she would have to kill him. _I hate death. I hate killing people...but there isn't much I wouldn't do for my friends. I can only hope you've already passed, but if you haven't I will not hesitate to have your blood on my hands._

Her fingers hesitantly reached for his neck to find his pulse, a much less personal touch than she had given Sasuke. She shivered lightly at his cold skin and waited for a sign of life.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was not even the faintest of a pulse. He was completely still, no breath escaping his body.

Itachi Uchiha was dead.

* * *

**Itachi**

* * *

"Yuruse Sasuke…Kore de saigo da"

A pale, thin finger instinctively outstretched itself to a forehead that belonged to the one person Itachi would always love. Thin, lifeless blood poured from the elder Uchiha's mostly blind eyes and joined the liquid spilling from his mouth. A small smile, perhaps regretful, spread across his lips. He was content with the loneliness in his heart, for he knew he deserved the death his little brother craved of him. He fell to the ground in a heap of near death. For the last breathing moments he had, he could not help but wish the situation could have been different. Had his clan not been planning a revolt, had he not stop them, had he not killed every last one of them save for his brother. Had he not brought utter devastation to his younger sibling, had he not filled the boy's heart with hatred. But oh, he didn't regret it. He had done his duty and prevented civil war. His precious village, one of the few things that could compare to the love he felt for Sasuke, was relatively safe. His brother would soon return, whether by choice or by force of the jutsu Itachi had put in place. Things would eventually return to normal, as if he never existed. It was for the best.

He closed his tired eyes, allowing the grip of death to take him. _This is the end._

A golden shimmer appeared in the depths of his mind, much unlike the burning fires of hell he had expected. There was no pain. His body felt more relaxed than it had ever been before. His muscles needn't work, his brain needn't think. His heart no longer beat to the painful rhythm of his existence. He was at complete peace. He felt his slowly fly towards this light, no longer needing control of rationality. And then he felt the touch. The warmth and radiance of a gentle sun burst through his senses and he slowly began to see more than the brightness that it produced, but instead the kind figure of a women whose face had haunted him for years. She was not like him. She was not dark, she committed little sin in her life. She had served her husband well, and had raised two children to the best of her ability. The power of a mothers gaze was most piercing at a time like this, not when she was angry, but when she stared at him with nothing but love when he deserved so much less.

"Mother.." he spoke softly, more emotion laced in these words than he had spoken in ten years. For in this world, there was no way to hide them. This place forced the entirety of his soul into truth. Suddenly, the pain of what he had done shot through his once peaceful body, aching within him a hundredfold of what it had ever felt like before. Was this judgement?

"Itachi, you are overwhelming yourself. Relax. You know I could never hate you. In fact, I am so proud of you. Everyone is." she spoke to him soothingly, brushing a hand against his forehead. He stared into her eyes silently as she succeeded in calming him.

"A part of me wishes I could embrace you here and steal you away, but it isn't your time. You have done your duty all your life, you deserve to actually live."

"I don't understand.."

"You're not meant to. If only I could tell you..but wishes never come true if you speak of them. And this is what I've wished for you since the moment you were born. Protect what you hold dear, Itachi."

"..Sasuke?"

His mother smiled softly and released her hold on him, sending a small shiver through his body at the sudden loss of warmth.

"Goodbye. As much as I miss you, I pray it will be awhile before we see each other again."

The light faded away and darkness enveloped him once more. However, this was not the peacefulness of the dead, but the loneliness of the living. He was aware of himself and his body now, an ache in his being present once more. His heart continued to beat, but his brain didn't know what to think. A shallow breath returned in his body, sore from long, exhausting battle. He was well aware he was alive, and if it weren't for his message to protect his brother, it would have disappointed him.

Thoughts of his brother now entered his previously silent mind, and his body reacted. _Sasuke_ he thought, forcing his eyes open. However, it was not Sasuke he first laid eye upon. A woman he was vaguely familiar with hovered above him with astonished eyes. At first he could not place a name to her face, despite the distinctive pink hair. But then he remembered Haruno Sakura, betrayed friend and admirer of his younger brother. He silently stared up at her with his red eyes, unsure how to react. He was certainly not tempted to speak; he had nothing to say.

* * *

**Sakura**

* * *

She was about to return to Sasuke's side when suddenly she swore she saw a slight movement in him._ Impossible.. I had waited for a full minute. He's dead._

She moved closer to inspect him further, just to make sure, when something happened that nearly gave her a heart attack. Her eyes widened and she breathed in an airy, surprised gasp as Itachi's crimson eyes suddenly and unexpectedly snapped open. For several seconds she was frozen in a mixture of shock and fear. _He was dead._ _He was dead. He. Was. DEAD. There is no way I missed his pulse..did I? I guess its possible..but I was extra careful!_ her thoughts raced, and then there was the realization that she was sitting vulnerably and only inches away from a living, breathing, Itachi Uchiha.

_SHIMATA!_

Now aware of her situation, she stood and jumped back..accidentally cornering herself against a piece of debris that was behind them. He was still laying on the ground, which made her think that he was too injured to do anything. However, that didn't mean she would let her guard down. Her hand instinctively reached into her pouch to take out a sharp kunai, ready to defend herself if necessary

Her grip tightened on the cool metal, her eyes narrowing sharply as he quickly sat up. However, he didn't even seem to recognize her presence. Instead, his sharingan eyes stared at the unconscious body next to him. This worried her. He could very well intend to end his brother's life now, and she would not stand by and allow that. In an instant she was in front of Sasuke, as if protecting him from the older Uchiha. Any traces of fear disappeared with in her, replaced by determination.

"Get any closer to him and I'll kill you right here!" she shouted, holding her kunai out in front of her. She wouldn't let Sasuke get hurt.

Finally he seemed to pay some sort of attention to the fact that she was here by making eye contact with her. For a second she thought he was going to come closer, but instead he just stared at her. She refused to look away, and eventually he spoke.

"Is he alive?"

The question was hard to answer, but she decided quickly what she had to do. If she said yes..he would probably attack her to finish him off. She wasn't a horrible liar, so that was her best option.

"You killed him." she hissed

Something unrecognizable flashed in his eyes, but before she could even think about what it was, it disappeared.

"You're lying." he accused.

"Why would I lie?"

"You're afraid I'll kill him." he bluntly stated.

"I wouldn't let you"

"..."

"You wont touch him!"

"..."

This pissed Sakura off. Not only was she being ignored, but he was still staring at her. The blood-red eyes of an Uchiha murderer disturbed her. She understood the sharingan wasn't evil, but for some reason it sent cold shivers down her spine even when Kakashi would use his. The power was useful in the hands of someone good..yet she still didn't like it. The lack of emotion in his stare didn't help.

With one blink of her eyes he suddenly vanished, appearing behind her and on the other side of Sasuke. Her head whipped around to find him looking down at his brother's body.

She quickly reacted, charging at him with a fist full of chakra. _There's no way he can dodge this in his state. I've got him!_

_..Or not._

He managed to disappear once again, now standing where Sakura had been moments ago. And then he did the weirdest thing. She watched him sit down beside Sasuke and reach out to him, placing a delicate finger on his forehead. She was ready to attack again, worried that this was a weird jutsu. She was also cautious, not wanting to start something she couldn't finish. But before she could even move he stood and started walking away.

She had to think about what to do next. She could let him leave and return to the original situation. She glanced over at Sasuke, trying to decide what to do. If she let his brother go, all he would do is run after him. If she could do that for him, lighten the burden..

She decided it was best to follow him. He completely ignored her presence, which wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was dangerous, playing this game. She was a mere foot or two away from someone who had no moral code, no conscience. He was acting really, really weird. Not to mention he should be dead. Oh, and the fact that he had the audacity to act as if she wasn't here. Inner Sakura was raging inside of her, just begging to throw a punch. Instead, she spoke calmly. "Aren't you going to kill me?"

He instantly stopped walking, making her almost crash into him. She stopped before that happened though. He was staring ahead of him, saying and doing nothing for what felt like an eternity. She shivered lightly, realizing what she did. She was practically begging for death. Still, she couldn't help but be a bit snippy at times._ I dare you to fight me, Itachi Uchiha!_

He didn't attack. She was about to say something when finally he spoke. It was a cold, threatening word that scared her further, although she refused to show it.

"Leave."

She stood in place as he took to walking again, and she realized something. He didn't run like he should have been, but walked instead. That meant he must have been greatly injured and weakened by the battle. That meant she _could_ beat him in a fight. And that meant she wasn't going to give up. The only problem was that she had to do so farther away. Sasuke might wake up, and if he saw her here and getting in his way of killing Itachi himself, he would be unhappy. Of course, when he did wake up and noticed a lack of a dead Itachi, he might assume he's alive. Either that, or someone came to take his body. Hopefully he would believe the latter. To believe that, the two of them had to get out of the area. Only then could she attack. If he wasn't up for battle, chances are he wouldn't attack her even if she did follow him. Playing on that chance, she decided to do just that. She continued following him as he made his way into the forest once again

He continued to walk without turning around or looking at her, but she knew he was aware that she was still there. They walked like this for a while as Sakura tried to decide on the best strategy to win this fight easily. She had to do something quick and stealthy so he wasn't given an opportunity to dodge. She still had her kunai..but was that fast enough? She wouldn't second guess herself. Trusting her instincts, she flung the deadly weapon and watched as it cut through the thin air and pierced the Uchiha murderer in the back, right in the middle of a red cloud on his Akatsuki cloak.

_CHAA! _inner Sakura roared as she charged at him with another fist, meaning to hit him so hard that he started flying through the forest. However, her attack hit one of many crows that dispersed, due to her kunai, from the fake itachi. It had been a clone.

This time, she didn't need to hide her feelings within inner Sakura. She let out an annoyed groan and reached for her kunai that lay on the ground. With her weapon held firmly in her hand once again, she took off to find the real one.

_He couldn't have gone far.. I don't know how I missed him switch places with a clone, but now I just have to put in a little more work and find him. Chances are he didn't go back, because he wanted to leave. Unless he did that purposely to make me **think** he wanted to. Is he the type to underestimate someone? Well..he did insult Sasuke kun's abilities a lot. But from what I hear he praised Kakashi sensei. So I guess it depends on the person. Would he underestimate me? Probably. What he must expect me to do is go running back to Sasuke kun. Which means he went in the opposite direction. I was hoping to be there when Sasuke kun woke up, while he was still injured and weak. But that can't happen with Itachi still alive.  
_

She took off in the direction she decided on, running at full speed. She was going to catch up with him and she was going to kill him. She had to. Sasuke had to believe he had successfully gotten his vengeance. If he did, maybe he would be more likely to come back to the village. Even if he found out later that Itachi was alive, once they had him back they could stop him from leaving again. Determination flooded her veins, powering every step she took. Maybe that was why she soon made a mistake. She was expecting to find, not be found. This is why the male voice that jumped out from behind left her startled.

"Eh? What's a konoha brat doing out here!?"

She turned, holding her kunai up defensively, and skidded against the tree branch she was on.. to face someone very tall with a weapon that was almost as big as the man. If you could even call him a man. He was probably twice her size! Not to mention that his complexion was rather.. _gloomy._


	2. Chapter 2

I apologize very much for taking so long to update a second chapter. A lot of stressful things have been going on and school has been keeping me very busy. I took my APWH exam on Thursday and now that _thats _out of the way, I finally had some free time this weekend. From now on, I plan on updating once a week, no later than every Sunday. Of course, things may come up, but just plan for about once a week.

Thank you for everyone who followed the story and left a review, it means so much. The more reviews I see, the more I want to update as well. So please, feel free to tell me what you think, leave any suggestions and constructive criticism, ask any questions, whatever you'd like! Now that all thats out of the way...chapter 2!

* * *

Kisame Hoshigaki, feared as the Monster of the Hidden Mist. An s-ranked missing nin from Kirigakure, well-known as one of the previous seven swordsmen of the mist and partner to the infamous Itachi Uchiha. His height is astounding, his appearance even more so. Shark-like features are obvious even to the most careless observer. His skin is a pale blue grey, one of the first things you would notice. The blue hair on his head is styled like a fin. Looking closely, you could see that he wears a dark purple polish on his nails, a symbol of the Akatsuki, along with a forehead protector that covers his ears as well. He wears a ring on his left ring finger, the word south written in yellow kanji. What mattered most to Sakura in this moment was not what he wore but the abilities he possessed.

She could defeat a very weakened Itachi, but defeating this man who was at full strength? She was more confident than ever in her strength and intelligence, but she never underestimated an opponent. Especially one of this stature..

She knew the odds were against her. If he was going to attack, her best move would be to run. Although she wasn't a big fan of giving up and every nerve in her body told her to stay and fight, her feet responded without question as she took off in the same direction she had gone. She couldn't allow this distraction. She felt the effect her weight had on each branch, which was honestly very little considering her light figure and the quickness in each of her steps. That was why it was very, very obvious when suddenly the s ranked missing nin was right behind her. The branch drooped under the heavy man. Her instincts kicked in and she tumbled to the ground, barely dodging a swing of his deadly sword, samahada. In the time it took her to run off only a couple of tree branches away, he had managed to bring out his weapon and easily appear right behind her. He was, in the simplest of terms, fast.

As soon as she regained a balanced footing on the earth, she forced her body to move its quickest. She ran as fast as humanly possible for her, dodging trees with relative ease.

_I have to get away. I have to somehow make him lose my trail. But kami he's quick, and I know he's right behind me, and there's no way I can get a substitution jutsu in. A clone would throw him off for about .05 seconds. And there's only a 50% chance of that. Damn it! _her mind raced at about the same speed as her feet. But despite the lack of a solid plan, she had to do _something_. As her body whizzed passed a huge tree, she knew this was her last chance. She quickly made a clone of herself, which turned to the left as she turned to the right. There was no way she was going to look behind her, it was a waste of time and she would soon find out if he had fallen for it. Sakura just kept running, and running, and running, and finally when a full second had gone by and she still hadn't been killed, she knew he had followed the wrong one. Of course, he would be back for her any second now, but she didn't worry about such specifics. She just ran. And she began to think that _maybe _she had successfully gotten away. But all of those thoughts vanished when suddenly her body was violently thrown into the air and collided, with a sickening crack, into a tree.

"My blade, Samahada, is hungry for your chakra. I hope you don't mind" he stated, swinging his weapon towards her with a huge, excited grin.

She had managed to stand up properly, although leaning against the tree, but hadn't escaped from him yet because his sword was less than an inch from her neck. Considering its massive size, it really didn't matter where it hit. She knew contact with this weapon would drain her chakra, as well as easily shave off her flesh. He swung without remorse, not expecting a fistful of chakra to be her escape route. With a quick, powerful punch to the ground, a crater began to form and the earth shot towards her enemy. She fell into the gap purposefully so she was able to jump out and into a branch, avoiding his blade.

"Don't underestimate me, Sharky" she exclaimed, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. She had a tendency to call really annoying people nicknames that she knew they would hate. She also had a bad habit of cracking her knuckles, which she did as well. Both of these actions seemed to piss off the akatsuki member in front of her, because his anger was almost radiating from his blue-grey skin.

"Don't call me that, you cotton candy bubble gum pink headed pathetic konoha brat!" he snarled, charging at her with a hunger to kill. He was almost acting reckless, at the very least not thinking very straight, and she was fully prepared to dodge this simple attack and run away. She was fairly certain that, given his rage, she could trick him and escape now. She was actually just about to jump deeper into the forest and fully escape him, but he stopped mid swing. Which was highly uncharacteristic and would have been downright laughable if not for the reason he stopped.

"That's enough." a calm, emotionless voice echoed quietly within the vicinity.

She had found him. Or, more accurately, he had found her.

Sakura was incredibly shocked, and although at first she thought this new situation was helpful, it didn't take long to realize how incredibly horrible it had become. Because now there was no way she was going to get Itachi alone. And she most certainly could not fight both of them. She was 100% positive that there was no possibility of defeating Itachi while his shark friend was around.

"Itachi, come on. She's not even important, they wont miss her. I haven't gotten to kill a konoha nin in forever, much less an annoying kunoichi like her."

"We're taking her with us alive." he stated simply.

"WHAT!?"

_What!? _

Her emerald eyes narrowed angrily. How dare they talk about her as if she wasn't even there, as if she were some object.

"You're not taking me anywhere, Uchiha. Neither are you, shark boy. You'd have to kill me first."

"I can arrange that." Kisame hissed.

She bit back the strong urge to break his jaw. The only thing stopping her was the sudden idea that popped into her head. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all..

"Can I at least cut off her limbs?" he pleaded.

Before Itachi had the chance to answer, she spoke. Partly because she really didn't want to lose her legs, but also because it was now or never. "Don't bother swinging that sword of yours at me, Sharky. I'd rather not go through all that." she began, turning to Itachi. "I'll come with you_ somewhat _peacefully if you agree to one thing. If not, I can guarantee a struggle in which your bones will shatter in so many places you wont be able to move for weeks."

He stared at her, unmoved and completely unaffected by her threat. Still, he tilted his head a fraction of a centimeter, waiting for her proposal.

"Stop pursuing Sasuke. Don't speak to him, don't attack him, and don't you _dare_ try to kill him ever again. You have to give me your word as a shinobi, despite how disloyal of one you are, that you agree to this. Then..you can take me wherever you want. And if you break this promise, or turn it down, I swear you will regret it. Because despite how weak you think I am, I have countless numbers of friends willing to help me..dispose of you. "

Despite not showing any signs of it, her proposal surprised him. This was both a very easy and very hard thing to agree to. Of course he wouldn't want to kill his little brother. He fully planned on never speaking to him again, either. He wanted Sasuke to believe he was dead. But what made this deal difficult was that he may need to do exactly that, or at the very least pursue and track him. If he was alive now to protect Sasuke..he had to keep an eye on him. She had no clue of his motive, and if she did she would hardly ask him not to. But he was not a compulsive liar, far from it, and hated the prospect of making a deal that he fully intended on breaking. He was, however, good at it. He had done it for almost a decade, he could do it again. He just had to be a bit careful in his wording, and hopefully she wouldn't notice. Although ironic, he was a pacifist by nature. He had killed many people, and after defecting he had even killed many konoha nin. He had so much blood on his hands that it permanently stained his eyesight. But he didn't feel like fighting now, and if he could capture her peacefully, he would. He needed her for two reasons. One, because she was the only person who knew he was still alive. He couldn't let her tell others because then it would no doubt leak to Sasuke. The second reason was..well..even more important.

"I can take you by force. You have nothing to offer me."

"I'm offering you my full co-operation, isn't that enough!?"

"Hn."

"Don't ignore me, Uchiha."

It was silent for a moment as the two stared each other down. Angry emerald orbs gazed into cold, heartless sharingan. Finally, he turned around, walking away quietly. When neither his friend or his..unfortunate companion..followed, he stopped.

"We should arrive within an hour." he estimated, pausing only slightly before continuing.

"So you agree to my terms?" she demanded an answer.

"I will not intentionally bring harm to my brother any longer." he stated, his steps maintaining their speed.

Kisame followed first, mumbling something about how stupid this all was. Of course he came without question; not only was Itachi his partner, but also his friend and perhaps the person he respected most in this world. He really had itched for a fight though, and regrettably swung samahada to his back once more. However, when the annoying girl still didn't follow, he turned his head around.

"You heard Itachi, now are you coming?"

"He didn't swear it. How am I supposed to trust him?" she questioned, folding her arms.

"He doesn't have to do something so ridiculous, girl. He told you he wont do it and he wont. Now hurry your ass up, we're already going to have to slow down enough for you as it is."

"No." she refused.

Kisame sighed and growled, experiencing an even worse mood now. He didn't get to kill her and now she was being stubborn. And so damn _annoying. _

"Why you little-"

"I give you my word that I will not intentionally bring harm to Sasuke." he finally spoke in a tone that gave away absolutely nothing.

Even Kisame was a little surprised that he had given in and said such a thing. Still, it wasn't completely unexpected. Although Itachi hated to speak, when it was necessary for something he found important he would do so. Having her co-operate must have been important. He would have to question his partner about it later, when they were alone.

Sakura smiled slightly, satisfied with the result. Of course, he could break his own promise. He had broken countless other rules and oaths when he murdered his entire clan - save for one - and dejected from the village. She joined the two, trailing slightly behind, and realized Kisame might have been right about something. She was slower than them. It was almost embarrassing, actually. She wouldn't allow herself to be bested by the likes of them, so she forced her legs to move quicker as her mind continued to race. This wasn't her entire reason for coming along. If he broke his word..then so be it. She hoped he wouldn't. She hoped that something like that still meant the same thing to a missing nin as it did for a shinobi of her village. But a konoha kunoichi had to be ready for anything, especially when associating herself with someone like _Itachi Uchiha. _Something she almost always had on her side was that everyone underestimated her. Not that she liked it of course, because really she had proven herself many times, but she had to admit it was an advantage.

She had successfully matched their pace..only to have them speed up. And then she matched their faster pace..and they sped up once again. It went on like this several times, her legs burning, and finally she noticed Kisame's smirk. He was doing this on _purpose. _He was messing with her. There was no way she would give him the satisfaction of knowing it worked. She pushed her limbs farther and farther, forcing herself to keep up with them. And if the Uchiha in front of her knew this was happening, he certainly didn't show it. In fact, it looked like he was walking on autopilot, totally and completely oblivious to his surroundings.

_Oh well, if he runs into a tree its his fault. _

She chuckled slightly at the thought of the stoic Uchiha doing something like that, earning a glance from the shark boy in front of her.

"What are you laughing at, girl. You're our prisoner..even if you are one who came willingly."

"I'm obviously laughing at you, Sharky." she lied, not really in the mood to explain what she was laughing at. "And stop calling me girl, I have a name."

"Stop with that annoying nickname."

"Make me." She threatened, using this whole conversation to toy with him. A kunoichi was supposed to be able to manipulate any man, after all.

"You have no idea how tempting that is"

"Then why don't you? Not that I'm suggesting you even attempt it, because believe me I don't plan on dying tonight, but you don't seem to be a very good s ranked akatsuki member when you don't even try to kill me." she asked, her slight curiosity a little too obvious. Because really, why did he just stop mid attack because the Uchiha said so?

"It's none of your business. Shut up."

"Whatever, Sharks."

"How many variations of that stupid name are you going to come up with?"

"Depends on how long I'm forced to stay with you guys, Sharkies."

"You think we're going to just have you stay for supper and then let you leave? Hell, you'll be lucky to _get_ supper. AND STOP WITH THE NICKNAMES!"

"Sorry, Sharks. "

Kisame sighed angrily, not even bothering to continue the conversation. And Sakura was fine with that. She had, after all, clearly won. Even if she didn't get the information out of him yet, there was still plenty of time. Getting Itachi to talk, however, was going to prove to be difficult. She wasn't even sure she wanted to try. She was pretty sure she hated him, and that wasn't an emotion she threw around carelessly. Although she made a deal to come with them peacefully..she never said she wouldn't escape. As soon as she did what was needed, she would leave. She would go find Sasuke and convince him to come home with her..or kill him. Hopefully not the latter. Although that is originally what she thought she would have to do, she was never certain she could..no matter how many times she told herself she had to. It was for herself, for Naruto, for team seven, and for konoha, yet the mere thought of it pulled at her heartstrings. _Please Sasuke..Please come home with me when I come for you. I don't want to hurt you. _

They continued on their way and as her Uchiha captor predicted, they stopped about an hour later. However, she didn't understand why at first. Looking around, all she could see was more forest. However, she quickly understood that there was more than meets the eye in this case. _A genjutsu, of course.._ she realized, closing her eyes and forming the necessary hand seals that her shishou had drilled into her brain over and over again. Her precise chakra control allowed her to force her chakra out, almost as if putting pressure on the genjutsu, and then snapping it all back in place. A disruption in chakra was the key to breaking any genjutsu.

"Hey, what are you-" Kisame began, about to restrain her.

She opened one eye to glance at him as the facade broke, revealing a house that looked anything but normal. Which was to be expected, of course. It was a hideout in the middle of the forest after all. It was huge, containing at least a dozen rooms. The outside was dark and gloomy. the inside no doubt the same. _How exciting, I get to live here. They better not even consider chaining me up._

"I was just breaking the genjutsu for you. Loosen up a bit, Shark boy."

"Hn.." Itachi finally made a sound that showed he was, indeed, aware of what was going on.

"How the hell did you know it was there!?" Kisame roared.

"It was a simple genjutsu." she began, glancing over at Itachi. "So much for your fancy sharingan abilities."

He didn't respond, there was really no need. He did, however, turn his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye. Not only had she realized almost instantaneously that a genjutsu was in place, she knew that it was done by his sharingan and she knew how to counter it. It had been a weak one because he wasn't expecting to return and Kisame wasn't very skilled in breaking them. But still, her intelligence was decent._ Interesting.._ he thought. _She is a student of Tsunade, that I do not doubt._

He was the first to approach the front door like a civilized being, however Kisame chose to stumble in front and barge in. "Time for some sake!" he shouted, running towards the kitchen. Itachi followed behind calmly, instead turning towards the staircase. Each step was soundless. He continued until about halfway up the stairs until realizing that Sakura was not following.

Without turning his head, he spoke softly. "Come."

Sakura stared up at him, or more precisely the back that was facing her, and hesitated. She had some outlandish plans before, but this one really did push all rationalities. Here she was, walking right into the hands of two feared Akatuski members. All for some boy who left her and konoha behind for revenge. _He should have stayed with us. We could have helped him.. _she allowed herself to think for a moment, then shook her head. No, this wasn't just for Sasuke. This was for everyone she's ever cared about. This was for her home. Even if they didn't realize it, she was doing this all for them. As she followed Itachi up the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder what Naruto was thinking now. After all, she hadn't told him much. Just a simple note..with a simple message.

* * *

It was Naruto's day off. Not that he _wanted_ the day off. He had practically begged baachan to stop forcing vacations on him. He needed all the missions he could get if he wanted to become strong enough to save Sasuke. Besides..days off were lonely. He'd rather be with team seven. And one of these days, Sasuke would be back and team kakashi would be back to the way it used to be..almost. He had, after all, made a promise to himself and to Sakura chan. And he never breaks his promises.

Any other day and he would have been up at sunrise, training or meeting up for a mission. But today..he just wasn't feeling it. He slept in really late, until around noon. And that was why it was all his fault. If only he had woken up sooner, chased after her, caught up. But he was too late..far too late for what he woke up to. He found a note on his pillow, and instantly recognized her scent in the room. Sakura had been here in the middle of the night. That was when he knew something was terribly wrong. She wouldn't just stop by and leave like that..unless she didn't want him to know she had been there until now. He may seem like nothing more than an idiot to a majority of konoha..but really, he was smarter than that. Especially now, after all his training. The moment his fingers touched the paper, his heart skipped a beat in worry. Because..he knew. He should have known. He should have paid more attention..

_Naruto kun,_

_Don't worry about me. Really, I'll be okay. It'll be awhile before I come back..hopefully not too long. But there's some stuff I need to take care of, for both of us and for all of konoha. I wont let him tear us apart any longer. I made you promise something so wrong..so incredibly wrong. I'm sorry. But this is my job. I have to finish this. If you love me, you'll let me do this. Maybe when this is all over..I'll finally go on that date you've been bugging me about for years. Whether or not Sasuke comes back. _

_Love, Sakura._

His grip on the note tightened, crumbling the paper. _You can't do this on your own, Sakura chan.. you can't. I know you still love the idiot. There's no way you can kill him. And if he doesn't come back willingly..he'll..I'll be the one to kill him if he hurts you..I've got to find you. _

He quickly got dressed, and was fully prepared with his outfit and weapons in less than five minutes. But now..he had to decide what exactly to do. As much as he wanted to run after her on his own..Sakura had always told him he needed to be less reckless. "The hokage can't just run head on into battle when he thinks its necessary, can he?" she had said to him "And since you're going to be hokage..you've gotta be prepared to sit back and watch things happen until its the right time to fight. "

_But its always the time to fight when my comrades are involved. T__hose who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash, remember? I could never abandon you, Sakura chan. But..I have to let baachan know! She can do something, I'm sure of it!  
_

He went to the Hokages office shortly after that..and they had talked. He was ordered to not, under and circumstances, leave the village without her permission. She assured him that Sakura would be safer, for the moment, if he didn't go out. Naruto hadn't taken that well..of course. And she had said soon they would go out on a mission. She then personally promised him that no matter what, Sakura would return alive. Although he knew that was a promise she shouldn't be making..the fact that she did assured him enough to stay behind..for now.

_Sakura chan, I swear I wont let you get hurt. Just wait a bit..and remember what you told me? Don't do anything reckless. If baachan doesn't figure something out soon, I'm coming. I don't care how mad she gets!_


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I love you all.

* * *

_Alone at last._

Thankfully, the painful moments spent with the emotionless, incredibly inhuman Itachi had been brief. Neither the pink haired kunoichi or the sharingan user had spoken. He had led her to a fairly normal sized room that lacked any sort of decor, save basic furniture. To her surprise, he had not tied her up or sealed her chakra. He hadn't even locked her inside. Whether this was because she had come willingly, been underestimated, protective measures outside, or a combination of the three she couldn't be certain. She assumed they had another sort of genjutsu outside in an attempt to prevent her from leaving. _When the time comes, I'll be ready._

Sakura hesitantly sat down on the dark blue blanket covered bed, feeling and hearing the squeaky springs underneath. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as her own, but this was clearly not home and would never be even close to it. A powerful wave of loneliness came rushing at her, taking her breath away and forcing her to lean against the wall. Her emerald orbs shut tightly, allowing a shallow inhale to pass through her lungs as she attempted to quiet her mind.

_I left to find Sasuke and came across his older brother. Who, need I remind myself, is supposed to be dead. And then I came up with a plan that involves me being his captive, putting myself in a fairly decent amount of danger and risking my life. Not that this situation is much different from a mission..except this time, I'm nowhere near my teammates. That might have meant sure defeat in the past, but now I'm strong enough to handle it on my own. I don't need their protection. This is something I have to do on my own, anyways. But I do miss them, and I'm sure I'll miss them even more once I've been here for a week or two. And then another week to deal with Sasuke. Hopefully it wont take any longer than that. _

Her eyes remained shut, however not so forcefully, and her breathing returned to normal. She needed to be thinking rationally, not emotionally. Missing her friends and family wouldn't make things any easier. It would only ruin her focus. As much as she wanted to formulate a solid plan for the _where, when, _and _how's, r_ight now it was in her best interest to get some rest; it was late into the night and she had been awake for over 36 hours in her attempt at finding Sasuke and her eventual, albeit willing, capture. She took pride in her abilities as a ninja, but she wasn't so foolish as to miss a much-needed opportunity to rest. Even if each muscle ached when it made unpleasant contact of the rusty, hard mattress. Even if as she laid down, her neck creaked and her arms tensed as one snaked its way behind her head to act as extra cushioning and the other clenched a gentle fist cradled by her chest. Her body curled awkwardly against the rough, incredibly thin blanket, each foot struggling in a battle of dominance. Her toes curled and her skin shook as a silent shiver passed through her body, the chilly air finally reaching her bones. It was times like these when, as much as she loved her skirt and sleeveless vest, she wished she had chosen warmer attire.

_Pants. Is it so much to ask for a pair of pants?_

Not that she even considered marching downstairs and disrupting the loud shark boy and the emotionless serial killer to ask for something like that. You didn't ask the enemies for favors.

Sakura was again troubling herself with thoughts, but at least this time it was over her well-being. And since she wasn't going to get any extra clothes, the ratty blanket beneath her had to do. Although hesitant, she pulled back the covers and slid under. The sheets were no better, however at this point she learned to ignore general hygiene. She snuggled up inside the blue blanket, contrasting her bubble-gum hair, and dug her nose into the single pillow. It smelled musty, but not the attractive, earthy smell often described in romantic literary when referring to a man's scent. As she closed her eyes once more and tightened her petite, curled figure, she didn't even have to force herself much in falling asleep. She was just that tired. It wasn't a peaceful or enjoyable slumber, but it was sleep. And as she drifted off, her last thoughts consisted of only one thing.

_I hope I don't start smelling like this bed. _

* * *

The sun was at its highest point in the sky when her eyes snapped open. Even with the black drapes masking her world from the forest, light still managed to shine through dimly. Even the slight traces of it bothered her sensitive morning eyes and an annoyed groan manged to escaped from her dry throat as she buried her face further into the covers.

"Go away" she muttered, trying to ignore what had woken her up.

A chuckle echoed throughout the room, bringing another groan to her lips.

"No can do, pinky. I'm supposed to make sure you don't try to escape."

"Ugh. Go away shark boy. I'm sleeping, not running away. Or at least, I was until you decided to start swinging your sword around."

Kisame had been banging around, swinging his humongous sword at nothing in particular, and managed to knock over what little furniture was in the room. That was what had awoken her from her already troubled sleep. The noise in itself had already brought a pounding to her head, and now his mere voice was giving her a migraine. _Mine as well get up. _She sat up to give him an extremely irritated face, her eyebrows crinkling and a frown pulling down her features. Her right eye even managed to twitch slightly.

"Hey, it aint my fault. If you wanna be pissy, be pissy at Itachi. He's the one who told me to watch you even though it interrupted my training time. So here I am, training. Nice and peacefully!" he shouted, swing his sword in protest and accidentally chopping through a chair. It shattered instantly.

"You call that peaceful?" she questioned, raising a tired eyebrow.

"Hey, it could be you that I hit, so be grateful."

Letting out an exhausted sigh, she climbed out of the old bed and realized just how badly her body was aching. She expected as much, considering the condition that mattress was in, but had secretly prayed to whatever was out there that she might wake up feeling better. It turns out the gods weren't listening to her this time. She started stretching out her limbs, planning on soothing the muscles with chakra afterwords, when suddenly her pesky babysitter started whistling. And it wasn't that bored, I have nothing better to do whistle. It was the hooting kind that was inappropriately spat out at women who men thought were attractive. Something that she had experienced only a few times, because most people knew not to mess with her. But since this _thing_ in front of her probably wasn't even human, he must have been the exception. She twitched, turning to him with anger visual in every aching muscle in her body.

"Hey, don't mind me, you were just bending over suggestively. Not that I'd ever tap _that_. Trust me, you're not my type. Too..konoha."

Slowly cracking each knuckle, she appeared to be pondering something. "Hm..lets see..how about sushi tonight? Or maybe fish sticks?" she asked rhetorically, stepping closer to the asshole in the room. "Or how about I just smash you to a pulp and make juice out of you. Too nasty for me though, maybe that murderous bastard who is the cause of my sleep being ruined and pretty much everything that's happened the past 24 hours, not to mention the past couple of years, would like to try some. Hm?"

He didn't even seem phased. _I know you're an S-Ranked Criminal and all, but you really shouldn't underestimate me._

_"_Why should I be afraid of some konoha kunoichi?" He asked, a cocky grin appearing as he swung his sword around lightly.

That damned weapon was _way_ too big for a tiny room like this. Better yet, she knew its capabilities. It didn't pose much of a threat to her in this tight space. She knew for a fact there were other rooms in this house, so it didn't really matter to her if the room got destroyed. Maybe her next room would have a more comfortable bed. _And a fully stocked closet with pants._ She added on hastily.

'Because I'm not just _some konoha kunoichi._"

The amount of time between the second the last word left her lips and the moment her fist connected with his face was smaller than the amount of time it took him to blink, which was precisely the opening she needed to the unsuspecting victim. Of course he hadn't expected something so bold from her, but that was because he didn't know her. He never would, but now he would at least know her strength. There was no way he would be underestimating her now, right?

Wrong. Totally, completely, inexplicably wrong.

Blood dripped down his blue-grey skin, flowing from his nose that she managed to dislocate. Yet he didn't make any sounds of pain. In fact, he didn't even look like it bothered him. The only thing that he seemed to care about was that he hadn't seen it coming.

"Ow. Damn. You pack a punch, pinky" he stated, twisting his nose back into place. "Is that all you got? That was a lucky shot, I'll admit, but nothing too bad. Samahada over here still wants a taste of you, ya know. You shouldn't go punching assholes who have weapons that can kill you so easily."

"Why should I be afraid of some fish freak who goes around disrespecting women?" she hissed back at him, reaching to her leg for a kunai. Except...something was missing. Something very important. Her weapon pack was gone.

"Well, first off you don't have any weapons and I have a really big one." he laughed, reaching behind him to wave something in her face. The very something she was missing.

"How the hell..YOU TOUCHED ME. IN MY SLEEP NO LESS." She shouted, charging at him in fury and reaching for her pack. What happened next she really should have expected. It was so cliche, happened in all the movie, and was just the type of thing he would do to feel empowered. And it wasn't _fair._ Because yes, she was kind of short, but he was monstrously tall. If he could have just been a tiny shark, it wouldn't have been a big deal when he held her weapons up above his head.

"Jump for it..come on jump. You can do it little pinky." he teased, shaking the bag as if they were dog treats.

Her emerald eyes, filled with anger and annoyance, narrowed sharply as she folded her arms. There was no way in hell she was going to play this game. She gave him a stern look, expressing just how unwilling she was to take part in this, and after a minute or two of treating her like a little puppy he gave it up. However, that didn't mean he actually gave it back to her. He gave her a toothy shark grin and backed away.

"Sorry, but he told me to take them away. Be pissy at him."

_Ugh. _This was becoming just plain infuriating. Every single word out of his mouth seemed to revolve around Itachi. Itachi this, Itachi that. Itachi's orders, Itachi told me so. It wouldn't be entirely unexpected if he started talking about their engagement and the little itachi sharks Kisame would be giving birth to. _So that explains why Itachi killed his entire family and ran off to the akatsuki, it was some romantic journey to meet up with his other half. Now he's a psychotic, evil, sadistic, horribly disgusting Uchiha who just happens to be gay. No wonder Sasuke kun hates him, I'd hate him too. Not because he's gay of course, I don't care about that. It's actually kind of cute.. in a sick, twisted way. I don't actually want to see their babies, there's already one shark too many. Now give little baby sharks the sharingan, and we've got a problem. _She almost let out a giggle at her own thoughts, before realizing that it wasn't actually funny. That situation would be really disturbing. She also realized she would look rather crazy laughing to herself like that. Not that she cared what this asshole thought, but still. She was actually curious about why he was obeying the Uchiha so readily. It could be vital information. It was very possible that Itachi was mind controlling him in some sort of genjutsu. She wouldn't put it past him, and if that was the case it was for the best she knew about it before she got caught up in the mess.

She let out another frustrated sigh and crossed her arms. Time to get to the bottom of this. "Okay, why the hell do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what, treating you like shit? Because you are."

"No, that's not what I meant" she stated simply, not bothering to get into an argument about how she was not, in fact, shit. "I mean, why do you keep obeying Itachi like that? He's an asshole who beats people up for fun. I've seen the way he treated his brother. Is he the akatsuki leader? Is he blackmailing you? Some kind of jutsu?" She questioned, her eyes demanding the truth.

"And why would I tell you any of that?"

"Because you don't want me to punch you again?" she suggested.

"I already told you I'm not afraid of you in the slightest."

"Okay, then how about because I'm a sweet little girl kindly asking you to explain?" she batted her eyelashes, pretending to be exactly what she said.

"First off, you are definitely not a sweet little girl. I mean, you're small..especially your chest.. but not sweet. You're more annoying than anything. And you are definitely not asking me kindly. So no."

For a moment she considered trying to seduce the answers out of him. She'd like to think she wasn't horribly unattractive. Even if when she stretched her ribs became prominent. Even though her chest was barely developed at best. Even though she had oddly colored short hair. Not that she hated the length..because it did in fact make her feel much more mature and it was definitely more practical. It was just hard to have much self confidence in her appearance when her best friend was the essence of beauty. Not that she would feed her ego and admit that out loud to her. But really, a ninja shouldn't be allowed to look the way Ino did. Her legs were much more womanly then Sakura would ever have, and her hips were barely considered curves. And her breasts? She didn't even want to compare them. That was the last thing her confidence needed.

Of course, even if she wanted to gain a couple of pounds and attempt at filling herself out, she couldn't. She hated to admit it, but she had tried. All she ended up doing was making herself sick. She felt gross for weeks after pigging out like she had. Besides, her figure was much more practical. For every pound she gained, her speed would decrease. Likewise, for every pound lighter, she would increase in agility. It was basic ninja logic. Although, considering her mentor was a great deal top heavy..and a sannin..maybe some kunoichi could break that rule and get away with it.

But even if she did look like a typical woman, she wasn't sure she _could _seduce someone. Even though it was practically expected of a kunoichi to at one time or another use her body to get answers, she wasn't very..experienced in it. She wasn't popular with guys..not that she really wanted to be. If what she had done with Sasuke when she had been young and childish could be called seducing, she had been very bad at it. _I mean, he did leave the village after all.  
__  
_So when it came down to it, even if she had been attractive in the eyes of her enemy, she probably couldn't use that to her advantage. Flirting wasn't her forte. _Well..not that I've tried in years..__but it's not like I'm going to make an attempt with this guy._

_"_Okay, I haven't been very sweet or kind lately. But that can change. I can play the obedient captive."

"Not only do I not believe that, but it isn't my right to tell you anything. Ask Itachi if you really want to know. Not that he'll tell you."

"I don't even want to talk to that jerk.."

"Heh. So I'm an asshole, and he's just a jerk? Damn. I thought I was a bit scarier than him."

"I'm not scared of either of you." Okay, maybe that was a small lie. She was a little afraid of Itachi because of what he'd done. She would never admit that though. She'd rather die fighting him than act like a scared little girl.

"You're not even a little scared of me? I'm twice your size and according to you, I'm some freak." He said, sounding a little surprised.

"I'm not scared of fish. I'm just pissed at you for being such an asshole. Not to mention its you're fault I'm in this mess. Why are you even still here?"

"I'm not a fish you know. And we're having a friendly conversation, that's why."

He was kidding, right? This wasn't a friendly conversation. She was being rude, something she was hardly ever. But she was trying to get her points across. She didn't actually care that he was a freaky shark thing; pushing his buttons was just an effective strategy. She didn't, however, have to fake her annoyance.

"We're not having a 'friendly conversation'. We're arguing. I punched you..and if it weren't for my self-control I'd punch you again."

"Okay, then I'm still here because we're arguing and I like to win."

"That's an incredibly childish point of view". Even if saying that was slightly hypocritical, she had a point.

"You're right. But that's who I am, and I don't particularly feel like changing."

"You're infuriating."

"I know."

"Ugh."

"Still angry?"

She could tell by now that he really enjoyed having the last word. _So be it. _She stopped responding altogether, figuring the only way she would win this was to let him think he won. Her feet shuffled over to the chair he had previously broken, gathering the bits into a neat pile. It wasn't her mess to clean, but she was afraid she would wake up in the middle of the night, walk in the dark, and step on it. And since there was no way she would convince Kisame to do it, the responsibility was hers. Surprisingly, he said nothing. The only sounds were the scraping of sharp, splintered wood again old floorboards. She could feel his curious eyes on her, but she pretended he wasn't even there.

Once the mess was sorted out, she quickly headed towards the door. Her escape. But to where?

"Where are you going?" he questioned, moving right in her path.

"I'm hungry." she stated, trying to move around him. It didn't work. He followed her movement, blocking her path once more.

"So?"

"So I'm going to the kitchen."

"Like you can cook."

"How do you know I can't?" she wasn't an amazing cook, but she did enjoy it. And she could make simple meals. _There's got to be something edible here. _

_"_Even if you can, you can't. You're not allowed to leave this room."

"Not even to do something as innocent as make breakfast?"

"You missed breakfast hours ago."

"..Okay, lunch."

"Hey, like I said, don't get mad at me. I didn't make the rules."

_Damn it. Usually enemies just underestimate me. Why not seal the door and trap me inside instead of having someone watch over me? Why not seal my chakra? It just doesn't make sense. They're acting like I have freedom, when really I'm just as much of a captive as the next guy. But why make it seem differently? Just to give me hope and then tear it down? Sounds like something Itachi would do. Toy with people. But perhaps there's more to it. _

"Well, when _can _I eat?" she questioned hesitantly, still thinking about the situation.

"When Itachi returns from his mission and makes dinner."

She let out a sigh, sitting back down on her creaky bed. So much for that idea. She'd have to wait several hours for that. In fact, if it was a mission he was on, it could be all day. Her stomach was already growling lightly. She hadn't eaten much since leaving konoha. A soldier pill had done its job, but it hadn't really satisfied her. _I could even go for some ramen right now. I wouldn't mind Naruto dragging me along. _She missed Naruto, but now wasn't the time for these feelings either. Actually, a sudden thought popped back into her head. He had spoken of a mission. What kind of misson would that be? The kind that involved murder?

"Mission? What mission?"

"..nevermind."

_Ugh. That's it._

"I'm sick of you Akatsuki. You are such horrible people. Why do you do these things? Really, what is the point? Is it the money? Are you guys really that greedy? I just don't understand."

He was silent for a moment, which surprised her more than everything else had today. She fully expected a sarcastic retort in an attempt to win the argument. But he didn't. When she stared him down long enough, she finally got something out of him. Although..it wasn't what she expected.

_"_You ask a lot of questions for a prisoner." He paused for a moment. "Look, I'm not saying we're good, 'cause we're not. But you don't know us. You shouldn't assume things."

"I'm not assuming anything!" she half shouted, then brushed back her pink hair in an attempt to calm herself down. "You are a murderer. I'm not assuming that."

"So are you. Did you forget you're a ninja too? You have an allegiance to your village, and we have one to each other. We both go on missions that we're hired for and we kill if necessary. Stop acting like such a goody-goody konoha nin. That's why I'm so sick of your village. "

She considered this for a moment. He was right in some ways. She had killed before..not that she particularly enjoyed thinking about it. But she killed for the good of her village. She killed the bad guys.

But to those bad guys..maybe she was the bad guy.

She had never really thought of it from that perspective, and although she had to admit it had some accuracy, she still believed that they were bad and she was good.

"The difference is that you, Itachi, the entire Akatsuki enjoy it. You enjoy the power, killing the weak and the defenseless. That village your sick of? We defeat the people like that. We save those who need it. That's what we enjoy. And that is why we're good, and you're not."

"Hey, I already said we're not good. Somethin wrong with your hearing, pinky?" he questioned, lightening the mood to seemingly avoid the subject.

She sighed, lowering her head into her hands. It wasn't that she was about to cry, but her head was still pounding and now more than ever she wished she hadn't taken this mission of hers. _It'll be worth it in the end. It's for Sasuke. It's for the entire village. I can do this. Besides, its like I said. We kill the bad guys. Itachi is one of the worst still alive. Killing him will be easy on my emotions considering all he has done, at least. Not so easy physically. Not to mention my spying skills for intelligence are incredibly hindered at the moment. At least that's more manageable than the conversation I'll be having with Sasuke. _

She took a deep breath, rubbing her temple and applying soothing medical chakra where the headache was growing.

"So, what exactly _do _you let your prisoners do?"

"Sleep."

"I'm too irritated to sleep now."

"Sucks for you."

"I'm used to it."

"I see."

"Yep."

"Uh huh."

"Yeah."

"Are you trying to get the last word?" he questioned with a distinctive smirk.

"Nope. Just trying to annoy you to death."

"If anything, you'll annoy me and then I'll kill you."

"You can't. Itachi's orders, remember?"

"Oops. Forgot. I like to fantasize about killing weak and defenseless little girls." he said, mocking her earlier comment.

Rolling her eyes, she glanced at the window. She couldn't see outside due to the curtains, but suddenly felt the need to be out there.

"What were Itachi's specific orders about watching me?"

"He said I was to keep my eyes on you and not let you escape. You're not allowed to roam the house. Why, looking for a loophole?"

"Something like that. Did he say anything that would mean we couldn't go outside, with you watching me and making sure I don't escape?"

"..Well, I think that was implied."

"..Well, if he didn't specifically say you couldn't take me outside, that means technically you could..right?"

Okay, she knew she was digging into it way too obviously. But her goal honestly wasn't to escape, and considering how up front she was that must have been clear. Even to him. She was looking for something a bit more..helpful. Exciting.

"What do you want, pinky?"

"Well..we're clearly both stuck with each other. You clearly think you're better than me. I'd like to prove you wrong.." _Either I'm really desperate, really bored, really curious, or all three. Probably all three. Plus, learning his strength and weaknesses will be very_ _helpful_. _Who knows, maybe I can kill him. Even though he's S-Ranked..he's cocky. Too full of himself. That's already one obvious weakness._"..so why don't we go outside and have a little spar?"

His toothy grin returned once more. "Oh, you're on. He never said I couldn't rough you up a bit."

_Ha. _Inner Sakura roared. _Sakura: 1 Akatsuki: 0_

* * *

Itachi will be very present in the next chapter. Well, as present as a person who lacks social motive and rarely ever speaks unless necessary can be.

I know I already said this, but I love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Sparring was certainly a good way to destroy formalities with a person while having a little fun. Which, Sakura was forced to admit to herself, she was having. However, she was also on a mission to learn. Kisame's fighting style, his techniques, his personality, and his oddities were all categorized into a broader topic: very useful information for Konoha.

Of course, it's hard to concentrate solely on something when you're one step away from being hacked by a sword.

Sakura was not a cocky fighter by any means. She knew she may not be the best in battle. If she hadn't learned that over these past few years, then she had learned absolutely nothing. But what she did know was that her intellect and the pure inhumanly strength she possessed in the palm of her gloved hand, as well as her medical skills that rivaled her shishou, was what put her over the edge of your average chunin. When combined with her determination she's been told to be on similar grounds to a jounin. Which, as a side thought, she would attempt to become next year. Because there _would_ be a next year for her, and hopefully many more, in her hometown. Because she _fu__lly _planned on making it out of this situation alive.

If only she could manage to gain a solid edge and push the pesky shark into defense. After all the hooting and calling out, she was certainly ready to get in a strong punch or two. However, the blue-skinned member wasn't classified as an s-ranked missing nin for nothing. And even though he wouldn't kill her, if she let her guard down for a split second he would potentially come damned near close to it,

To his dismay, it wouldn't be that easy to diminish her focus. He had been ignorant enough to think her easy pray and she was going to change his mind. And better yet, she wasn't even going to use her full power. He wasn't going to see her true potential. She was collecting information on him and storing it in an exclusive part of her mind, not the other way around. He would only be shown her basic attacks, including her monster strength. The determined young woman shattered the earth below just wide and deep enough to catch his footing as he jumped out of a tree and to the ground from dodging several kunai and various maneuvers of a clone she had created a bit beforehand. The real her didn't hesitate to give him her own kicks and punches to pushed him farther and farther back.

Indeed, this plan had worked in her favor. The earth splitting underneath him had apparently not been a normal occurrence in his typical battles. However, she didn't allow herself to believe for one moment it would be that easy. While inner Sakura may have done a few joyous rejoices, the outer one simply prepared to dodge what was coming next. Which, in no more than the blink of an eye, had been the swing of his sword that had come so very close to slicing her midsection.

She was hardly the fastest of the Konaha 11, but if there was one thing Kakashi sensei ever taught her, it was the necessity of quick reaction times. Although she had grudgingly pointed out to him several times that he had his sharingan to help him out with that, he would simply give her a crinkle of his eye and a smile underneath that mask and tell her that she didn't need a bloodline limit to do it; she just had to work harder.

So she had.

The quickness and lack of hesitation that could only have developed after years of training, aided with the strength and chakra control passed down to her by her true mentor, shaped her into the fighter she was today. It was why even as a sword as huge as Samahada came swinging at her from various angles and speeds, she managed to remain only barely scathed. Which was all well and good, however there was one problem.

She was learning more about his fighting style, but there was one thing that wasn't so successful. Gaining the upper hand seemed near impossible.

Although she only had minor injuries, the fact was that no matter what she did Kisame was still fully and completely intact. He had lost his footing a couple of times, but always managed his way out of it.

She, however, had gotten some of her precious chakra sucked out by the accursed sword. With one of his earlier jutsu's, one of her ribs had been bruised. Her hip had a slight ache. There was also a gash on her arm, not deep enough to be of any real danger but deep enough to sting. And the problem was that she was too busy dodging to waste her time healing any of her minor injuries. She was trying too hard to get a successful edge on him in this battle.

Her pent up anger at dealing with the fish fry had eaten at her and fueled every attack. But even if she sometimes lashed out rather instinctively out of frustration, when fighting an enemy she refused to allow it to control her. Although it worked for some people, namely Naruto, it would just manage to distract her. It wasn't as if she was too blinded by rage to defeat him. No, it was much worse than that.

He was just too skilled to beat.

"Aw, come on pinkie. You're making this too easy" he joked, appearing behind her as he slashed towards her legs.

Jumping into the air with a flip, she landed several feet further away. Sadly, just as she gained her footing he was right behind her again. But before he could get in another swing, she quickly turned around with a kick fully aimed at his torso. Which was hard to do, considering the sword was in her way. So when her body came in contact with the sword, there was a split moment where Kisame thought he had just chopped off her legs.

Just as Sakura believed that he had fallen for her substitution jutsu and that the kunai the real her tossed at him from behind would whiz through the air and sink right into his thigh.

Unfortunately, he heard it coming towards him just in time to instinctively turn around and block it with his own weapon.

Even worse was when suddenly it wasn't just the two of them anymore. Although she didn't enjoy Kisame's company, she downright despised the third intruder to this delightful party.

"Ah..Itachi. You back already? Guess that mission was even easier than we thought it would be heh? At least tell me they put up somewhat of a fight." Kisame began, not sounding the least bit nervous at being caught. And neither was she. Sakura just didn't particularly enjoy getting interrupted by the sharingan user who she blamed almost entirely for a majority of her life's miseries.

"She escaped."

Itachi did not phrase it as a question, merely a statement that expected some sort of response. She thought that was rather rude, however strangely enough he didn't sound surprised. It was just a simple, even, monotone voice that held very little interest. Which was annoying in itself, because if he really didn't care if she did in fact escape, why was he so adamant on taking her in the first place? And more importantly, did he really expect her to try and escape when she had come willingly?

"You think I-" Kisame began, however was interrupted by a certain pink haired kunoichi.

"I didn't _escape_. We were simply having a spar. Training."

Itachi glanced over at her and she met his eyes firmly. Although she didn't enjoy the sharingan and had very good reason to fear it..especially his..she refused to back down to him. Her own emeralds narrowed stubbornly, waiting for him to say something. She would not dignify him by giving in.

His eyes remained on her own, however his voice was directed towards the male.

"She was likely attempting to learn information regarding your fighting style with the intent of informing her fellow shinobi."

Although she was angry by this conclusion, she couldn't exactly say she was surprised. If anything, she was just annoyed. That wasn't a word she threw around lightly. She personally knew the harm it could cause. But this time, she felt as if it fit. She refused to dignify him with any sort of response. Kisame, however, didn't hesitate.

"Eh, so what? It isn't like she'd actually get the chance. Besides, what else were we supposed to do? I mean, sure if she had been hotter and wasn't so goddamned flat and tiny we could have gotten drunk and I could've gotten laid, bu-"

He was politely interrupted with a quick and powerful punch swinging at his jaw, however it never connected. Before she even had the chance to give his face a bruising, her wrist was caught mid-strike by none other than the Uchiha. He was there in an instant, almost as if he flashed wherever he wanted to appear.

No emotion crossed his features, not even anger. There was a blank look in his eyes, almost as if he was aware of both nothing and everything. They were a cold crimson that managed to look even more threatening up close despite the emptiness in them. His fingers gripped tightly to her thin wrist, hard enough to prove a point, and made her eyes tightened and her jaw clench. Still, she refused to let out any sort of noise to show that she was in pain. She had, after all, faced much worse in the past.

His gaze pierced her own, waiting for her will of fire to crack. But she wasn't one to give up, especially not to someone like him. Instead of demanding he let go, which she was honestly tempted to do, a small curl of her lips formed in the corner of her mouth.

_I'll wait._

_Idiot, stop smirking at him like that! You're going to make him angry!_

_Oh, shut up. I'm not even sure this emotionless bastard can be angry. The closest I can imagine him is 'mildly irritated'_

_Don't tell me to shut up, you're me!_

Neither of them seemed motivated to speak up, lforced into a deadlock while Kisame stared at them curiously and wondered if Itachi was going to snap. In all of his years knowing the man, not once had he outright showed emotion. At best he would hint at certain feelings which he only picked up on because they were friends and partners. Right now, however, his emotion detector may have been a bit off. Because somehow his usual gaze didn't even hint at anger. None at all.

"Take her back to her room. She may not leave." he finally spoke, releasing his hold on her wrist. She immediately pulled away, taking a full step back. She didn't appreciate being that close to an enemy.

Her eyes were still firmly attached to his, continuing her show of displeasure. Likewise, her lips pulled downward slightly in what some may categorize as a pout. Truthfully, however, it was her unhappy thinking face. She didn't enjoying being here. Despite some of the benefits it may have she was not going to suck up to these two. _Especially _not Itachi. Even if she did, it would probably be too obvious. She was going to do what she needed no matter how much they got in her way.

"Aw, why don't you take her?"

He glanced at the taller male once before vanishing again. Even when unnecessary his speed was unimaginable.

Both her and Kisame sighed at the same time, gaining an amused look from one and a growing frown on the other. Sakura was admittedly stubborn and wouldn't consider sharing a similar reaction with an akatsuki member. He, however, must have thought it funny. He stared at her a moment before chuckling.

"Cmon little lady, off to bed now."

"I hope you don't think I'm going to sleep this early, the sun hasn't even started setting yet." she pointed out, then added on as an afterthought, "And don't call me that either. I have a name."

"I never said you didn't, doesn't mean I have to use it." he replied, stepping out in front of her towards the back door. He expected her to follow. She decided to do just that, considering there was nothing better to do. Before stepping through the door she took a glance back at the field and the trees around it. Saying it was destroyed would be an understatement.

Oh well. At least she hadn't worked up a sweat for nothing.

* * *

She had wanted to shower and rinse off the grime of battle, however her orders were far too strict for Kisame to allow it. She was to stay inside the room. Of course she argued that eventually she would need to go to the bathroom because she did, in fact have a bladder and she even asked if she needed to explain the medical purpose of the organ to him since he wasn't exactly human. _That _hadn't gained her approval, but at least she managed to infuriate him enough to leave. Being alone, dirty, and hungry was much better in this circumstance than having to be constantly watched. Besides, she needed this time to gather her thoughts.

She needed time.

By now, Konoho was no doubt aware of the situation. Whether they knew she had been kidnapped, she had no way of knowing. A team led by Kakashi had been sent out to find Sasuke, but she had a head start. They were probably only just now happening upon the scene, and she doubted Sasuke had still been there. She had healed him well enough that he could have managed to crawl off somewhere. The question was if Kakashi would pick up on her trail. The chances were very great, considering he and his ninken dogs specialized in tracking. Even if he wasn't aware she had ever left, she trusted him with her life and that meant trusting he would figure it out. But his mission had been to find Sasuke, so which path he chose she couldn't be certain. Assuming they did come for her, she could be added to their team and join efforts in the mission; she could help them find Sasuke.

She didn't understand fully what guarded this house, but she knew there must have been more than the simple genjutsu to hide them. She guessed their trail had been masked and hidden exceptionally well, but if anyone could find something out of nothing and look underneath the underneath it was her sensei.

She gave herself two weeks tops. Two weeks before they found her. Two week to discover all she can. Two weeks to kill Itachi.

She knew Sasuke would hate her if he knew, but he wasn't going to know. She had to get him out of the way. He needed to start living in the present. If she was very lucky, he may have already been returning to Konoha. Most likely, however, he was still wandering. With no risk of Itachi interfering, she had the highest chance of convincing him to return.

At the very worst, if she somehow failed to kill him she could do enough damage to buy her time and bring Sasuke back, or the latter option. She didn't want to think about that. Hopefully, things would go smoothly and once they had him, they weren't going to let him go even if he did discover the truth.

There was a problem with this entire plan. Even if Kakashi did find her trail and realized her situation, there was no way of getting the message to Tsunade in time. It would take a messenger bird several days, and even pakkun couldn't deliver the message instantly. Naruto knew the circumstances; she couldn't bring herself to leave without telling him anything. And if she knew Naruto, he would be chasing after her no matter what anyone said. She couldn't imagine him waiting more than a couple of days. If Tsunade new who exactly had kidnapped her, she would have explained to Naruto that the team out there could handle it and not the jinjuriki who would be playing right into a trap.

It was obviously cliche, but effective nonetheless. One of the reasons they had taken her was no doubt because of her connection to Naruto. She was the bait that would fish in one of the last two remaining beasts to be taken. And despite wanting someone to ally herself with in this situation, it was too risky to pull him into this. She wouldn't let him get hurt, captured, and definitely not killed for her benefit. She would give her whole entire plan up if she had to for the simple need to protect him. He was her best and closest friend. She would die for him.

The click of the door was all she heard, and even that was light and barely audible. Her head snapped to face the noise, all thoughts rushing out of her mind instantly as the intruder jolted her. She had known instantly who it was, but seeing his face made her tense. She didn't want either of their company, but somehow Kisame's was just slightly better. He may be rude and obnoxious, but at least he wasn't Itachi. He wasn't some cold, emotionless shell with a killer instinct. He wasn't a former Konoha shinobi who betrayed everything her village held dear. She preferred obnoxious over the intense, suffocating evil she knew Itachi had within him.

However, her spirits lightened graciously when she saw the food in his hands. The tray he held carried a bowl of what appeared to be miso soup with a side dish of rice and a pair of chopsticks. It was simple, yet just the smell made her stomach growl. Her expression bunched up in irritation, her eyebrows furrowing as she realized it had been audible, but her captor made no comment about it. She watched as he gently placed the tray on the bed in front of her, managing to do so in such a way that the broth didn't even ripple.

Despite her usual manners, she refused to thank him. Frankly, he didn't deserve it. He would be getting what he deserved in two weeks.

She reached for her chopsticks, digging into the rice until a perfectly proportionate scoop laid between the two wooden sticks. Before plopping it into her hungry mouth she glanced to her side, sending him a questioning glare.

"You're still here?"

He didn't respond, another irritating quality of his and reason enough to prefer the other teammate. It wouldn't have been so bad if the silence was comfortable. In fact, that would have been the best thing in this situation. But his very presence made every pause painful. She should just eat and ignore the tall, dark serial killer staring down at her, but ninja weren't good at ignoring possible threats.

She finally took the small bite of rice, chewing slowly and enjoying the taste. It really was amazing, full of various seasonings and flavor. She hadn't had such delicious food, especially in the simple form of rice, in a very long time. Food rations and soldier pills just didn't cut it for her, and despite herself she ended up taking quicker and more hurried bites. Her stomach couldn't savor it all at the same pace when she realized she hadn't eaten real food in days. She was _beyond_ hungry and to hell with appearing ladylike.

Despite who this person was, by the time she was finished she was almost tempted to compliment the food. She didn't, of course, but it almost rolled of her tongue. When every last scrap was gone, she found herself staring down at the empty tray wanting more. She wasn't going to ask, but it turned out she didn't have to. He beat her too it, even if he didn't exactly ask.

"There is more downstairs." he stated, turning toward the open door and disappearing around the corner. He had known she was still hungry and expected her to come.

_Damn him _she told herself, shaking her head. _He acts like he knows everything. _

That didn't stop her from following after him. As amusing as it would be to prove him wrong, another growl of her stomach told her she'd rather be full than win.

* * *

He couldn't find the rest of his team. To be honest, he hadn't been looking. Usually they showed up whenever they were needed. But this time was different, and maybe that was because he didn't know what he needed.

They had been fighting Kisame. That was all he knew. He woke up alone, which meant that Kisame must have succeeded and escaped to take the dead body that had been beside him.

But for once, he just didn't care. If they were all dead, or if this filthy world was dead. If every last place on this earth had been covered in blood and dead bodies and he was the only one left living, he didn't care.

Everything hurt. It hurt even more than that night he had just avenged. It was a different kind of hurt, an emptiness that sucked him deeper than ever before. Everything was different because he was the last.

The last Uchiha.

He had to restore his clan. He _had _to. However, he couldn't find the motivation for living. He wanted to be dead. Even the most torturous death would surely be less painful than this. His hardened, blackened, evil heart still had emotion. He still felt. He had worked so hard not to feel until the very moment the last breath escaped Itachi's body. But it hurt. It hurt. It _hurt. _

He was weak. He had been strong enough to kill Itachi, but he was still so weak.

He had numbly stood on his own two feet that carried a monster and walked away, staring into nothing but this disgusting world that he told himself countless times he didn't care about. He didn't want to care about anything because that made it hurt even more. He couldn't think about anything but all the pain inside of him and he walked for miles in no particular direction carrying every burden. He walked until it was dark and he could no longer move. Every bone ached in his body, every muscle burned, every pounding in his head begged him to stop, but he didn't.

Finally he found himself slumped in a dark cave, hardly remembering how he got there. He stared at the empty rock wall in front of him, his failing eyesight paired with the utter darkness leaving him nothing to see, yet he saw everything. Every moment of the massacre flashed behind those eyes in every core of his thoughts. Every second of his battle with Itachi. Every last breath of his. Of his _brother. _

His brother.

Nii-san.

And that was when he lost it.

He screamed a blood curdling cry, his head between his knees as he found he couldn't control his body or his breathing. He couldn't stop the screams, the tears, the pain. The gasps for air just barely kept him alive even as he wanted to die. He was shaking and screaming and begging and pleading all through the lonely night. Because he really was alone. The last. The only. He wished Itachi had killed him years ago so he never had to feel this.

He wished he could kill Itachi over and over again to distract him from this pain. To have a reason for living. Now he had none.

His eyes remained wide open even as the shrieks died down, yet he was so tired. So very tired of living, of breathing, of feeling. And after mindlessly staring at both nothing and everything, his eyelids started to droop. The moment they shut, he heard it. Heard _her._

_Sasuke kun._

His eyes s_napped open. No. No. No no no. _

Why was he hearing her voice? He didn't care about her. He didn't care. He _hated _her.

_Sasuke kun.__.gomennasai._

"SHUT UP!" he shouted at her voice, gripping his head tighter between his knees.

* * *

"Hey sharks, give me the damn soup."

"You've had three bowls already! You're gonna get fat!"

"You've had five."

"But I have a bigger stomach than you."

"Only because you're some experimental half human thing"

"I am 100% human for your information, pinkie. And you're in no position to demand food."

She sighed at that, shrugging as if she didn't care. _At least I know he's human _she recorded in her metal section specifically designated for akatsuki information. She _really _wanted more miso soup though. His condition to get more, however, was unbearable.

"You know the deal."

"There is no way in hell I'm going to beg you. You're the animal, you beg."

"Why you litt-" he began, standing from his seat at the table in anger, however was interrupted as a pair of arms and a flash of pink stole the prize.

She sat smugly, taking a bite from the bowl she had managed to steal from him. Strangely enough, she was actually enjoying herself a little bit. She was having a great dinner and managing to piss off someone who, under orders, couldn't kill her. Hey, imprisonment had been worse plenty of other times. However, every time the Uchiha on the opposite side of the table managed to even glance her way, she tensed considerably. Because although Kisame was under orders, Itachi was the one who _made _the rules. Aside from their higher ups, of course. Who she planned on learning about in her stay here.

So when Itachi looked at the bowl she managed to snatch, she hesitated. Instead of looking into the red eyes he bore at her, she pretended he wasn't there and decided to take another bite. Sadly, as mentioned before, she wasn't good at ignoring potentially dangerous people. Pretending, however obvious it may be, was better than nothing though. Besides, what did he care if she took someone's food. It wasn't as if she was taking his (however amusing that may have secretly been for her inner self to imagine).

"Aw cmon, that wasn't fair. I want my miso soup!" he shouted, "Itachi, tell her to give it back! That's the last bit."

"You sound like a baby crying to its mother" she mumbled, escaping his ears. A tiny glance she felt on her indicated that the Uchiha, however, had not missed her words.

She ate quietly, waiting for him to respond.

"Hn."

Her eyes narrowed angrily and she ate much more aggressively.

_Of course he would respond with that. As much as I hate being a prisoner, any little bit of fun is instantly ruined by him. And he's still looking at me like that, like I'm the weird one. Ugh. I can't wait for the next couple of weeks to be over._

She stood from the table, pushing her half eaten bowl of soup over to Kisame. "Here. I'm full anyway. I'm going to go back to my prisoner chambers" she explained half sarcastically, walking away from the table. She could still feel his eyes on her, and if the only way was to get them off was to give up the rest of her food, she would. She hadn't been lying either, the meal had been rather filling. Of course, knowing that the murderer covered in invisible stains of cold blood had been the one to cook it had disgusted her enough.

She also didn't like looking at him because he slightly reminded her of Sasuke.

They were very different, yet the little things caught her off guard. While their faces were unique, certain blank expressions were almost identical. Especially the little "hn" that every Uchiha seemed to possess. The "know it all" attitude was very prominent in both of them, but in different ways. Their hair was very different, but both a shade of the same color. Her mind subconsciously studied these facts, but unlike her observations with Kisame they were not really useful to Konoha. She found herself comparing the two when she didn't want to, because that brought out the facts of Sasuke she hated. The cold demeanor, the attitude, the rudeness, these were all things about Sasuke she didn't want to remember.

These were all things she blamed on the elder Uchiha that she left at the kitchen table. In fact, she blamed a lot of things on him.

She waited until reaching her room before letting out a tired breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, however just before stumbling in her not-so-comfortable bed she realized she was still messy from their earlier spar. The bed was uncomfortable enough as it was and making it dirtier certainly wouldn't help. She figured if she had been allowed downstairs to eat, that meant she could use the bathroom. And if not..well..whats the worst that could happened.

She just had to _find _it.

Which is the perfect explanation for why when she started opening door after door she just happened to stumble upon a dark, cold bedroom.

Surprisingly, the last thing on her mind in this moment was gaining information. It was the mystery of the appearance that drew her in and caused her to take a step further. Because although it was littered with only the basic furniture, the atmosphere was thick and full. This house was probably only visited once or twice a year by various people, and the odds were it belonged to another akatsuki member. The bed sheets were black and in perfect order. The walls were a pure white, unlike the creamy worn color of her own. The lamp was black (an ironic color for something that gives off light), the desk was black, the table was black..almost everything was black. And then, all too late, she realized that the environment was so sinister because there were many dark jutsu's placed in here. And she knew she shouldn't be here.

"Get. Out."

His voice rang through her ears. While she knew he was sinister, this voice he used was filled with malice she had never heard from him.

And it scared her.

She knew it showed in the simple way her body shook. Because she was a successful kunoichi, and she did not get caught off guard. But while in this room, she felt so completely enveloped that she didn't know how much time had passed. She knew she should have left, but she couldn't.

In the next moment, she felt Itachi's hand tight around her wrist as he forcefully yanked her out of the room and shut it all in one second. She let out an involuntary yelp. It was the same place he had held onto earlier, but now she was sure he sprained it. Because it _really _hurt and she had high pain tolerance.

"How did you break the seal?" he questioned, his voice wavering slightly. He actually asked her a question. She was too shocked to say anything and the chills on her skin still had her shaking. She wasn't sure she could talk even if he hadn't shocked her. Even more surprising was the way his voice sounded. Because for a second, she thought he sounded worried. And confused. Two things impossible of this man.

"Sakura. Answer me."

She took a deep breath, trying to find something to say. What was going on? Why couldn't she speak? And since when did he use her name? And why was he turning her head towards him?

Suddenly his sharingan were piercing her own eyes, entrancing her in a sickening way. No matter how hard she tried, there was no pulling away. Rationally, she knew he had captured her in a genjutsu. But rationality was hardly present in these moments. She was barely aware of his voice, lucky enough to make out certain words. But that didn't mean she understood. She didn't know how long this went on, only knew that her mind was slipping away somewhere..and it was dark. A floating sensation was vaguely present and then suddenly she was falling into a comfortable warmth that soothed her muscles and calmed her shaking nerves. She was no longer afraid.

Why had she been afraid?

* * *

Le Authors notes!

1. I love you and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know its two days late, but on sunday I posted something for Itachi's birthday and didn't have the time to finish this.

2. I'd really appreciate it if you let me know what you thought. Any commentary is welcome!

3. One of the things that annoys me in stories is when battle scenes are poorly written and described and I have trouble imagining them. Which may be hypocritical because I feel like I suck at writing them. So let me know how I could improve the fighting.

4. Also, I know it might seem like I'm rushng the itasaku, but trust me. I am not. This little thing definetly does not in any way shape or form mean they are romantically involved. They're not even friendly yet. Which will obviously start changing, but yeah. Didn't want you to worry I was rushing the plot. Merely establishing a few things.

5. So, who's bedroom was that and what the hell just happened? Any ideas? Of course I know, but why would I spoil that :D

6. Anyone else hate Sasuke? Yeah, I hate his character. I feel like kishimoto could have done a better job with him, and I SHALL ATTEMPT AT LE BETTER JOB. So I like my sasuke better, and if you have any opinions please let me know.

7. Oh, just a friendly reminder that this will follow a lot of the canon plotline up into the recent manga (with a few tweaks because Itachi's alive) and if I spoil anything in a chapter that isn't yet in the anime, I'll let you know in the beginning. That wont be happening for MANY more chapters but I thought I'd address it.

8. So how long is this gonna be? Kami I have no clue. I have pretty much the entire plotline mapped out (aside from small things I'll add here and there) and I can only guess it'll hit the 30's. No less than 20 fo sho.

9. Sorry for the obnoxiously long author notes..BUT I LOVE YOU SO LETS SHARE LE LOVE.


	5. Chapter 5

"Baa-chan! Hey! Baa-chan!"

Unfinished papers and empty bottles littered the desk. Normally situations like these were prevented, but in times of extreme stress not even the entire anbu squad and Shizune could stop her. Tsunade would throw a fit without her sake, especially when it was the only thing saving herself from internal misery.

Sakura was her student. Her pupil. Her trainee. She was also a very skilled medic, an extremely capable kunoichi, and an amazing asset wielding strength that would eventually overpower her own with the right experience. But to this particular hokage, she was so much more.

She was a human being with a wonderful, caring personality and a smile that could shine away even the darkest days. She was a woman who had suffered things no one her age should have to deal with, but she came out of it with a powerful internal strength and perseverance.

She was like a daughter to Tsunade.

And this was where her dark path began, passing by many regrets and longings and so, so much pain that was easiest to deal with when drunk.

And hardest to deal with when a certain spiky haired blond came barging in at three in the morning just when she had finally been able to pass out.

"NARUTO. What the _hell_ are you doing here." she shouted, aware enough of her surrounding to _not _completely fall out of her chair.

He didn't respond right away.

"Naruto? I swear if you came all this way just to irritate me further.."

"..Tsunade-sama.."

Speechless.

Tsunade was speechless. Utterly, without a doubt, unable to speak. Naruto had just politely said her name in perhaps the most calm voice he had ever used with her. She must have been _extremely _drunk to have imagined that..right?

"I.."

She waited.

"I have to go after Sakura-chan" he finally declared.

She eyed him for a second, not sure how exactly to respond. She _could _just punch him, which was tempting considering the time, but then the full impact of what he said hit. _Sakura. _

"No." she declared immediately, the hokage in her taking over the motherly woman inside who was extremely worried. No one could ever understand how much she wanted to say yes. She rarely ever appeared affectionate, but certain people still had the ability to make her heart ache. Her student was one of them.

"..I don't need permission."

Naruto knew he was pushing things. He may not be the silent, intelligent type, but he understood. Yet he still did it, because this was Sakura and if it took him getting in severe trouble he would go and help her. Yet at the way she was staring at him with wide eyes and an expression winning first place for angriest drunk he'd ever seen, he wasn't sure he'd even make it out alive to do so.

"I know its dangerous. I _know. _I'm the jinjuriki and I gotta be protected and can't put my life in that much danger and what if sasuke goes all teme on me and kills me and blah blah blah. I _get it."_

_"_Naruto Uzumaki, I am tempted to put you on unpaid vacation for the rest of your life."

A small, sheepish grin appeared for just a moment on his lips. "I know that too."

"Naruto.."

"Look, baa-chan. Sakura is extremely power and super capable and can kick ass 99 percent of the time. But this is Sasuke."

"I'm well aware, Naruto, now get to your god damn point. If you even have one."

He nodded. "I do. I know you sent kakashi-sensei and a whole bunch of others off to catch up to Sasuke. _Let me catch up to them._ You _know _I can."

"I thought you didn't need my permission?" she questioned, raising an exhausted eyebrow.

"I don't. I just would really really really like it since that would mean i dont get executed or arrested or some other scary stuff".

"Naruto, I told you no for a reason."

"I wont let sakura chan die! I wont let her do this alone! I wont sit here while I _know _her heart is breaking and I sure as hell wont sit here while that teme kills her. Because if that happens, you can be sure as hell that you wont have an obedient jinjuriki around. I'll go rampagin' and shit. Maybe destroy a few villages" he threatened.

Okay, so he wouldn't really do any of that. Even if the unthinkable happened..he wouldn't let himself take it out on the innocent. He's been getting better at his control lately..and if Yamato was around he definitely wouldn't. He knew she probably knew this, but he would do or say almost anything to go after Sakura. He knew she could handle herself, but he didn't even think he could kill Sasuke right now. And she.. _damn it _she _loved _Sasuke. To hell with her plan, to hell if she beats the crap out of him for coming when she said she'd do it alone. Because he _will not let her do this alone. _

Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. She was going to have the worst hangover in the entire world.

"Get the hell out of my sight.."

"Ba-"

"..and don't you dare let Sakura die."

He was silent for a moment before a wide grin appeared "I WONT! I PROMISE!" he shouted, running out the door just as a tired Shizune passed through.

"What was that about?" Shizune questioned, a squeaky oink following.

"The reason for all my pain and sufferings" she exaggerated, falling back on her face and smashing the many papers on her desk.

* * *

The mattress was springy and uncomfortable and she tiredly realized her entire left arm was tingly and asleep due to laying on it wrong for a majority of the night. The medic in her knew how to fix this instantly, however that part of her was suppressed deep inside the living, breathing woman who just wanted to sleep. She was far too tired to care about anything. Even though her body was twisted around awkwardly and the dirt and grime was sinking deeper into her pores, all she could think was the warmth and comfort she no longer felt. Rolling over to her other side, she attempted to snuggle deeper into..into..

Her body shot up quicker than if there had actually been a threat in her room.

And then just as quickly she fell back down with a sharp groan.

Her head was pounding, a full migraine sneaking its way in head even in a dead sleep. Her body was numb as if she had been in a deep sleep for years. The vague memories of the night before lingered in her head. They seemed so far away and distant..

And so very Uchiha.

Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her. The fear..the pain..the vulnerability.

What..had he done to her?

Her first thoughts were to make sure her clothes were fully intact. Although she was grateful they were, the realization that she had slept in those messy clothes was not exactly a good thing.

Then she glanced over to a small mirror on the opposite wall. She appeared to be normal. However, a sharp pain emanating from her wrist snapped her attention to the bruise that had begun to form from the rough grip Itachi had used. She was surprised to have managed sleep with this kind of pain, and quickly started healing it until the bruise faded away into nothing more than a light mark.

_"Get. Out."_

The sinister voice rang in her pounding head, making her shiver once again. As evil as she knew Itachi was, it was hard to believe that even he had been capable of such a threatening tone. And she had been frightened. That was normal; everyone felt fear. The inability to control her fear was, however, most definitely not. In fact, she couldn't control herself at _all. _

_I haven't felt so useless since the chunin exams._

But this was different. She didn't know how, but it was. She hadn't been trapped in a genjutsu to her knowledge, but something dark had been going on. And as much as she wanted to investigate, it was for the best that she stayed away from that room.

_That must have been Itachi's bedroom.._

Honestly, she was lucky to be alive. All she remembered was looking into those eyes..

The twist of her knob caught her attention instantly, yet surprisingly no one pushed the door open.

_Please don't be..please don't be.._

"Ello my little princess!"

_Thank all the kage's, gods, and the sage of six paths. _

"Kisame.."

Both of them blinked at one another before bursting out in laughter.

"I don't think you've said my name once, my little pink princess"

"You make me sound like a little girl from a fairytale.." she said with a frown.

"Most girls would take that as a compliment you know".

"I'm not a girl. I'm a kunoichi. I'd rather be called a deadly panther or something."

"How about the _pink _panther?"

"..."

"Is that a yes?"

"Absolutely not."

"Damn. You make it sound like I insulted your chest again."

She sighed at that, not even bothering to respond to one of many comments about her underdeveloped breasts. "I'm absolutely ecstatic to see you too." she rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Actually, I don't think you will be in a good mood much longer. Itachi's being unusually cranky now, must be that time of the month. Hopefully dinner doesn't suffer tonight".

She froze at his words. Food was the last thing she concerned herself with about this situation. Just his name had made her muscles tense and it took a great deal of effort to relax her stance.

He gave her a curious expression, clearly trying to get her to speak up. When she didn't he became even more suspicious, stepping closer to get a good look at her.

"You look a mess." he stated, observing the dirt and tangled pink hair.

"Thanks, exactly what every prisoner wants to hear."

She could feel the questioning gaze in his eyes; he suspected it had to do with Itachi. She had visually freaked out when he mentioned his partner, and he wasn't usually the perceptive one. Of course, it could be simple as the fact that she still hated him. Kisame could clearly see that things had been less than pleasant last night at dinner when Itachi made his very scarce comment or looked at her for even a second. Her reactions were actually quite annoying. Maybe people just got like that around people whose main goal is to ruin her two best friends' lives.

Actually, that made perfect sense. Itachi had chased around his little brother and although both had participated, it was usually Itachi who ended up directly attempting to suck the soul out of the jinjuriki boy.

"Hey, sharks?"

"Aw man, I thought you were gonna start callin' me by my name."

"Nope. Fishstick."

He cringed at that, managing to make her smile slightly and barely push the recent events into the past.

"Don't call me that ever again or I'll be calling you pretty pink princess."

"Fine. No more fishsticks. But seriously, can I _please _go shower?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I doubt Itachi really cares, as long as you don't go wanderin' in places you shouldn't" he answered, running off as the first syllable hit her ears.

He had absolutely no clue that his advice was just a tad bit late.

* * *

"Akamaru?"

The dog was much more than just a pet, but an ally with exceptional skills in tracking. Paired with Kakashi's own dogs, they would find any trail that existed. If it still existed.

"There are no people in the nearby area." a firm, quiet feminine voice rang out.

"Continue looking, Hinata" Kakashi responded.

A pair of ink birds suddenly flew off of paper that Sai had drawn them on.

"How well can they see?" a certain wood element user questioned.

"Senpai, if either of them are in the open within a hundred mile radius they will be found."

"Its unlikely the targets will be that naïve. We have a better chance catching a trail." Kakashi reaffirmed, looking out for any of his ninken.

"Akamaru's got something!" Kiba shouted excitedly, scratching the back of the animal's ear.

"Itachi?"

"No, Sasuke. We've probably got a way better shot following this trail than looking for the other damned Uchiha though!"

"I suppose so. Everyone, follow Akamaru!"

While everyone jumped at the chance, Shino quietly followed behind while holding in his disappointment that he had, once again, not been acknowledged.

* * *

The warm water had soothed her sore muscles almost as much as the relief in finding the bathroom before stumbling upon any more mysterious rooms. Now she was comfortably clean and laying in bed with a newly replaced bed set that was filth free.

Kisame had explained it was from a former akatsuki's room. She didn't enjoy using something one of them slept in and made him swear it wasn't Sasori's. She had freaked out when he said the entire room was his. She even fell for it for a moment before the stupid shark busted out in a fit of laughter and accused her of being extremely gullible.

_I suppose he isn't too bad..except for his insults. Still, he's akatsuki so I should be more careful. Just because neither of them have tortured answers out of me yet doesn't mean they wont sometime soon. I'm surprised they haven't done more to get me to talk about Naruto..but I guess the idiot is so straightforward and always rushes into things headfirst so they probably know all of his weaknesses already. _

Sakura spent the next several hours very patiently staring at the blank ceiling above her head and waiting to be interrupted any second. Yesterday, every time she wanted peace and quiet one of them would come in and antagonize her. Granted, Itachi _had _brought food and she _had _been extremely hungry, but she didn't exactly enjoy his company. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't give her weird glances and impose on her personal bubble without so much as a hello. At least when Kisame came in he had a reason. Even if it was as simple as striking a conversation to pass the time.

Then again, even if Itachi did have a reason it would probably be deranged and unethical. Murderers tended to ignore rational behaviors.

That didn't mean she didn't plan on demanding some answers about last night.

As if on cue, her door creaked open.

"Ello, little panther. Hungry?"

She nodded. "Starving."

_Starving for some answers. _

She made her way to the kitchen, expecting to see pots full of another delectable food. However, it was completely empty. There wasn't even the smell of food to tease her growling stomach. Giving the room a second look just to make sure she was seeing correctly, she then gave a questioning glare to the much taller male in front of her.

"Eh..did I mention Itachi went off on some mission before making food? And since I can't cook..looks like you're making dinner tonight."

She couldn't hold back an irritated groan. She had been ready for the stares and glares and the hn's and scoffs. She was prepared to deal with the quiet and lethal Uchiha until dinner was finished and she could pull him off to some corner and demand to know what the hell happened. Sakura was not the type of prisoner that was too afraid to speak her mind and acts like some helpless girl waiting to be rescued.

She did _not_ want to deal with dinner.

_Too bad I don't have any poison on me. Or at least some sleep inducing medication. This would be the perfect time to slip him something in his food._

She had managed to make a somewhat decent meal out of microwave ramen noodles which had apparently been sitting in the cabinets for a long time because no one would touch them. Normally she wouldn't have either, but as soon as her eyes landed on them she remembered her best friend that she missed dearly and pulled it off the shelf. She could only hope he wasn't too worried and that he hadn't run off blindly in an attempt to rescue her from sure death. Although the thick, salty broth and tasteless noodles hardly satisfied her stomach, it filled her heart with momentary happiness.

Kisame, however, grumbled about how she was a sucky cook.

She later lay in bed restlessly, much unlike the deep slumber she had last night. If Itachi had returned during this time, she certainly didn't hear or sense him. Besides, there was no rush. She couldn't say she wanted to see him anyways; if it weren't for her confusion and anger she would avoid him completely. But eventually she _would_ get these answers.

* * *

**Authors note:**

1. Okay so I _really_ liked the beginning of this. I _wanted _to write more and I know this chapter was short but I jumped around enough as it was and I think this was the best its gonna get. I wasn't about to write really pointless filler (like in the anime) about how she sat around all day doing nothing. Because thats what she did. Nothing. This is her alone day.

2. So yeahhh this was pretty much a taste of what almost everyone is doing right now.

3. Duuuuude I updated one day after another I'm actually pretty proud of myself even if this chapter sucked.

4. I love you guys so much, every time I see my views shot up I get all tingly and feely inside and just wanna give you all a bear hug.

5. Let me know what you think? I love le criticism.


	6. Chapter 6

The body fell from the highest heavens, drifting gracefully to the earth below. There was no such thing as temperature; she felt neither hot nor cold. She floated from the puffy clouds to the enticing blue of the clear sky, every muscle relaxing under the air's touch. The eyes that could pierce a sinning soul or sooth an aching heart, sometimes being deceived into doing both, were now gently hidden behind soft lids and voluptuous lashes. Her captivating, pale features expressed nothing but the faintest twinge of acceptance on her thin, rosy lips.

A delicate breeze caught her midlength, uniquely gorgeous pink locks of hair and whispered secrets of her sorrow.

This feminine body was rough and scathed, yet in these moments her porcelain figure was as fragile as a faulty smile on a grieving child. Despite this, she felt no need to protect herself. Even as her body quickly fell through the crisp atmosphere, she was not afraid. Her peaceful descent left her body limp and her heart and mind were ready. She had no thoughts or concerns and felt no emotion. Naturally, the longer her cascade continued, the quicker she fell. But there was no thrill or hurry, and so she allowed gravity to pull her closer and closer to the sea below.

The patient angel seemed ready to die.

Her weightless body plunged into the calm water, succumbing to the sweet taste of life slowing fading from her lips. She knew the water was salty, yet she could not taste it. She knew the water was smooth, yet she could not feel it. The world around her was silent with an empty scent that never reached her nose. She loved earth, yet she could not remember what she knew of it. She could not remember why she knew. She couldn't remember anything except that she would die and that it was okay. Her body sank into the dark depths of the relentless ocean, water unconsciously filling her parted mouth into her breathless lungs and burning the insides of her scorched throat as she swallowed it all willingly.

And then she did the strangest thing.

Her eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of glittering emeralds to the suffocating water and meeting two glowing neon yellow orbs surrounded by a shadowy figure that hovered above the surface.

Her limp form suddenly thrashed around, kicking with every bit of energy left in her breathless, dying body. Every inch of her begged for the blessings of life, for happiness and love, and for air, but even as she tried to swim towards the surface she only fell further into her grave. The fiery anguish inside grew with every gasp of wet sea, extinguishing the powerful hum of inhuman life that once beat inside her. Her deteriorating weakness blinded what little she had been able to see, painfully bright spots flashing randomly before her dimming eyes. And with the last bit of power she let out a hopeless, desperate scream begging for forgiveness as the icy cold water swallowed her whole.

Then the real green eyes snapped open, belonging to the pink haired kunoichi who had suddenly been forced out of sleep and quickly sat up out of overwhelming fear, panting heavily and shaking under the blanket that lay in her lap. She instinctively grabbed the kunai that she slept with before becoming fully aware of her surroundings. Taking a glance in each direction, she noticed something that made her entire body tense up even more and grip the weapon harder.

"What are you doing in here!?" Sakura demanded, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Her voice wavered slightly, still shaken from the brush with death in her dream. She had truly felt like she was drowning, and even now that she understood it was just a nightmare it _still _felt incredibly real.

Her harsh gaze never left his eyes, even as a full minute passed without a response. Although he held no expression, if she looked closely she swore she could see curiosity flicker in his crimson sharingan. He was only inches away from where she sat, cowering over her in height. Even when standing on equal grounds the Uchiha was over half a foot taller than her, but given their current position she had to strain her neck to look at him; staring him _down_ for answers was clearly appearing impossible.

While she was growing impatient, he seemed to be waiting for her to explain herself. As if _she _had anything to explain!

She finally gave in, irritated with this game when all she could really care about at the moment was why he was invading her privacy while she was sleeping.

"If you think you can mess with me just because I was sleeping you're completely mistaken. I'm a fully capable kunoichi."

"I did not come in here to..take advantage of you" he said in a deep, monotone voice. Yet despite the apathy he displayed, there was a twinge of disgust laced in his voice. And it wasn't that she wanted him to do that, but she felt slightly offended. He appeared honest though, so she gently put her weapon away.

"Well then, please do tell me why you're in my room. I know I'm a_ prisoner _but you could at least show some decent respect. "

"You were screaming."

"..Oh."

Her eyes wandered to the other side of the room awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. She was sure if she told him why he would think she was weak. Although she hated to be thought of as some childish little girl, the more he underestimated her the easier her eventual escape would be. She let out a soft sigh, finally looking back at him to meet the same emotionless eyes. She must have been imagining the tiny hints of emotion behind them earlier; under her stressed state it wasn't impossible.

"It was just a nightmare. You didn't have to come running in.." she began, before suddenly remembering his peculiar absence yesterday that she suspected had to do with her. Oh well. If he really didn't want her to ask about that night, he shouldn't have come to her in the first place. Now that he was here, she was going to get those answers.

"But since you're already here, I have a couple of questions for you.." she finished, a small satisfied smirk growing on her lips.

She could tell instantly that he understood exactly what she meant. Although it didn't show on his face, he stiffened slightly and seemed perfectly content on remaining silent.

"Look, you owe at least this much for screwing up my life."

Another pause. Either he was trying to annoy her or he really hated talking. She was going to assume the latter, but the previous was probably a side effect he didn't mind. Finally, however, he must have realized her anger was growing and would soon explode if he didn't say something.

_Yeah, thats right. Fear me!_ Inner Sakura chanted while the more rational portion of her thoughts quickly said to shut up because he was obviously not afraid. She wasn't sure this stoic Uchiha had ever even felt fear.

"It is not your place to know." he stated absentmindedly.

"Like hell it isn't my place! Whatever you did to me made it my place and I want to know what the hell happened."

His eyebrow quirked slightly in question, but when she said nothing more he finally gave a curt nod. She took this as her signal to ask for something specific.

"Okay..well..I suppose the biggest question is why? Why did that happen..?"

For some reason, that got her the strangest look in his eyes. She wanted to decipher him, but it was hard. She didn't know much more than that he was a heartless murdered. But for someone deemed so violent, he seemed completely peaceful..albeit a bit cold. She didn't understand, which was unnerving to a woman who craved knowledge. She was always good at studying a situation and determining the best way to proceed, but she had little idea how to figure him out. Sakura was determined to do so before leaving. Any bit of information would be helpful to Konoha, especially about this particular akatsuki member.

"It happened because you entered the room." he answered matter-of-factually.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his answer. If he was going to give her vague answers she wasn't even sure she wanted to ask.

"Okay, let me be more specific. What are you hiding in there?"

"Secrets."

Her mind did a very exasperated face palm, suddenly feeling the need to bang her head countless times on a hard surface. But for her dignity she refused to indulge in such an act. Besides, she already had a feeling by the time this conversation was over she would have a headache. Making it even worse wouldn't exactly help. Trying to hold in her annoyance, she simply let out another small sigh.

"What secrets?"

The amused look flashed in his eyes again, and this time she was certain she wasn't imagining it. He didn't smile or laugh like normal people, but his bright red eyes sometimes told stories. He must have been aware of this because the moment something appeared he forced it away and replaced it with an apathetic look to match his entire demeanor. Aside from him possibly showing an intent to kill before attacking, she wasn't sure if this tidbit of information was really useful. But as much as she didn't like him and his cryptic answers, discovering this brought a small, satisfied smile to her lips. She was definitely getting better at reading people.

She then realized he still hadn't responded to her question. She was about to demand that he tell her something, but the tilt of his head stopped her.

_Why is he looking at me like that?_

As if reading her mind, he vocalized an answer that confused her even further.

"You are..intriguing".

She folded her arms tightly across her chest, a stern look crossing her features. "And you are changing the subject."

"That I am."

"You know, I'll figure it out eventually".

"Perhaps."

She eyed him carefully. If he was hiding it from her, it was no doubt something evil. The first thing she thought of was Naruto. What if it was some sort of jutsu or power that would help defeat him? She wasn't sure of any bigger weakness than her friend's tendency to lose control of the kyuubi whenever strongly effected by his emotions. But this could not be the secret because by now it should have been obvious to the Akatsuki. When Orochimaru was around, he certainly knew it.

Other than the Akatsuki's goal to collect all the bijuu, she really wasn't sure what they did. She wasn't even sure exactly what the powerful beasts would be used for. Considering who they were, however, it was safe to assume that they enjoyed bringing chaos to the world. The possibility of these secrets bringing about the end of the world was fairly likely.

But why keep something so important in his bedroom? She doubted this hideout was even important or often visited, and since they never stayed in one place for very long it was illogical to leave secrets unguarded, even if there was some sort of defense jutsu inside.

Then again, maybe she was overlooking the whole situation and Itachi just had an extensive collection of pornographic novels that he liked to keep hidden.

The mere thought of it made Sakura burst out into uncontrollable laughter that she couldn't even attempt to keep contained.

She hadn't realized it, but throughout her whole thinking process he had been silently studying every expression, every twitch of her lips, every raise of her eyebrow, and finally the light pink that dusted her cheeks. Some moments she was an open book, and others she was a difficult puzzle. This was never more evident than now. At first, she was clearly trying to figure out what he was hiding, naturally becoming worried. It was likely for her village and her friends. And she _should _be worried. However, sudden humor overtook every feature of hers. And no matter how much he observed these changes, he could not decide what she had found funny. She should have still been afraid. Fear was the logical response, yet she had done the illogical thing.

He craved to know why and was determined to understand her. She was his newest project. Normally, Itachi didn't bother studying another human. Most were predictable, no matter how powerful or unique of a shinobi. Yet sometimes people did things that he never would have suspected.

One of these people had been Naruto.

_It seems Konoha is as interesting as ever._

Her laughter eventually dimmed down to small chuckles. If Itachi wanted to know why she was laughing, he didn't ask. She had been too amused (and incredibly disturbed) imaging him reading Icha Icha like her sensei to pay any attention to his reaction. His eyes now seemed to be looking straight through her, as if she were invisible. If it were any other person she would have assumed he was daydreaming. But this was not someone who would let his guard down. If anything, this was just his ironic way of focusing.

Sakura was about to give a light comment on his silence when suddenly it was broken, not by either of them but by a loud crash that came from the kitchen and then several loud profanities. She quickly gave the direction her attention, however when she took a step towards the door Itachi quickly blocked her path with ease.

"We are not finished." he declared, a firm look now dusting his appearance.

"But aren't you curious about what happened down there? What if a team of anbu just came to come rescue me and killed your friend?" she questioned, raising a determined eyebrow.

"Highly unlikely."

"Are you really that heartless that you wouldn't even bother to check on your teammate?" she began, but then shook her head with an unamused chuckle. "Oh wait, I forgot. That's a stupid question. Of _course _you are. Someone like you just isn't capable of caring about anyone or anything but yourself".

She knew she was being cold and incredibly rude, but quite frankly this wasn't the time for politeness. And he deserved it. She was usually a very compassionate person..but that didn't include heartless, coldblooded murders. She could understand the honorable missions ninja of her village tried to take, even when it involved killing someone. But that was because they didn't kill people unless for good reason. A medic like her especially didn't kill for enjoyment. In fact, it was the complete opposite.

Itachi didn't react even the slightest bit at her words. She had been hoping to rattle him, to find a way to break that barrier of his and find some sort of weakness. Instead he stared at her intensely and with an unbelievable amount of focus. She stared right back, even despite the risk of being put under a genjutsu. She was excellent at sensing and breaking them, but she was still slightly unnerved by the sharingan's presence. Now was as good a time as any to get over that little fear and stand up to them.

_And I had been laughing only minutes ago. Why did I let myself enjoy anything while here? I even tolerated having simple conversations with Kisame! I need to stay focused. This isn't about fun. Although I suppose I do feel a little bad for Kisame..having Itachi as a partner must be incredibly hard. He probably has to follow him at all times or risk being slaughtered like an animal. Still, stay focused Sakura!_

It felt like an eternity until finally she couldn't help but blink and ruin this staring contest. When her eyelid opened, she noticed he had moved aside to let her through. Her next steps were to prove a point. She was a better person than him and despite being the enemy she would go down and check on Kisame. As her hand reached out to turn the doorknob, a deep voice rang throughout the entire room. With it was a sense of finality and the threat of severe danger.

"You will not go into that room ever again." he ordered, watching as she stepped outside and slammed the door.

He turned to face the only mirror in her room, staring at himself for a moment. His eyesight was worse than ever; he could barely manage to make out the details in his own face. Without his sharingan he would be practically blind. These were sacrifices he accepted long ago because he expected to be dead before the full effects would take place. He had no doubt he could manage even when blind, yet it was still an uncomfortable hindrance. He enjoyed watching the world and all of its creatures. Although a majority of life seemed to be shrouded in darkness and filth, there was so much more underneath.

He didn't belong on this earth any longer. It would have been much better if he was dead. It complicated many of his plans and left him in a painful existence he had desperately wanted to escape. But he was never one to wallow in self pity, only self hatred. He refused to complain about the circumstances and instead planned ahead. He would follow his path until stumbling upon the true purpose of his continued existence. He felt certain it had to do with Sasuke and Konoha because these were the two most important things to him that he would give anything to protect.

_Was speaking to my mother nothing more than a dream? Is my subconscious truly so cruel?_

He could usually decipher any situation and find an answer on his own. But here he was, staring into his own crimson eyes, and he was unsure. He didn't understand. He could only hope whatever happened next would work out in the end. But his new plans were becoming increasingly difficult to execute because of _her_. He couldn't let her go because she knew of his existence, not because he needed the kyuubi. He had nothing more to say to the boy, instead he fully trusted him to do the rest on his own. He certainly wouldn't be helping the akatsuki, merely putting up an appearance. Telling the others that she was the bait would do well in satisfying them for the moment

He could not allow Sasuke to find out he was still living. His little brother had to return as a hero who rid the world of a monster like him. They would not execute him for his crimes because he had never truly lashed out at Konoha and would think he made the immature decision, overcome by his hatred and vengeance. After news of his death were revealed, they would praise him and let him go off a bit easier. And then, perhaps, Sasuke could be happy.

Once all of that finally happened, he could probably let the girl go. Once Sasuke was safely back home they would keep a better eye on him and make sure he didn't leave again.

It wouldn't work out as well as he originally wanted, but it was the best he could do. He believed he was here to watch over his brother. The only benefit to this situation was that he could also observe the Akatsuki. Specifically, he had to keep Madara away from his brother. Although he had taken many precautions before his "death", the weakest point in his plan had been what the elder Uchiha would do. He was sneaky, cruel, and highly intelligent. He also had a way with words. But as long as Itachi was alive, he knew Madara would be very cautious and hesitant to approach Sasuke. Now it seemed he had done all he could and it was up to fate.

However, if there was one person who could destroy the entire situation, it was this girl. She was meddling in things she shouldn't. She was a strong kunoichi with much talent and intelligence, but she had no idea of these circumstances and would likely be making more reckless and ignorant decisions. Worse was the fact that he couldn't understand her. Sometimes she was easy to read and others so unpredictable. Would she stay away from that room for the remainder of their time here? He still had things to do and they couldn't afford to leave for an inn just yet.

There was also the fact that she really did interest him. She wasn't exactly pleasant company, especially considering how well deserved her hatred for him was. But it was that fearlessness to speak out to him, the unwillingness to completely submit as a prisoner, and the love for her village that reminded him of the pure essence of Konoha. She was much like his home, fierce but loving and very determined. But this similarity hurt him. It was uncomfortable to be reminded of the place. Of course, he was very good at pushing the emotion away. So good, in fact, that he could deceive himself into believing it didn't bother him at all. Because the best way to convince others that you were apathetic was to convince yourself to be.

He had to be careful. One small error could ruin everything.

* * *

"Kisame, you idiot!"

"Oh shut up. You didn't have to come prancing down here"

"You were the one screaming."

"Just go back to your damn room. It'll be good as new in a couple of days."

Sakura let out a tired sigh, glancing at the deep gash in his hand and the remnants of a broken bottle on the counter. He had somehow managed to break and lodge a sharp fragment into his palm. In his anger, instead of getting someone more careful to do it, he tried pulling it out on his own. The shard ended up being pushed further into his skin, worsening the injury.

He was the bad guy and one of the two men who kidnapped her. She should be overjoyed that he had an injury and use this to her advantage. But honestly, leaving him in pain like that wouldn't help her gain any information and it didn't weaken him enough for her to attack. And even if it did, attacking with both of them in the house was illogical. She had told herself to be more careful and stop talking and treating them like civilized human beings. It was hard to act indifferent and cold to someone in pain who hadn't really hurt her though..

_What's the harm..Even if I didn't heal it and Naruto came barging in within a couple of days..such a small injury would hardly change the outcome. _

"Let me see it." she said firmly, making up her mind.

"Huh?" he questioned, giving her an odd look.

"I can heal it, remember?"

"And why the hell would i trust you with my injury?"

"Because I'm a medic. It's my job to take care of others, and it isn't like you're torturing me to death here or anything."

He grunted, looking away. Just when she had been sure he was just going to ignore her he finally nodded. "Whatever."

She reached out for his hand hesitantly, relaxing when he didn't freak out. She had just successfully gotten one of them to at least somewhat trust her. She probably wouldn't even bother trying to get Itachi to trust her. She wouldn't get any useful answers from him, and unlike with Kisame she had a legitimate reason to let him bleed to death should the situation arise.

It wasn't a very difficult wound to heal. Extracting the glass had been little more than basic skill, and the warming touch of healing chakra fixed it up within a couple seconds.

"The skin will probably be tender for a bit, so I wouldn't go slapping anyone for a couple of hours."

"Yeah, yeah." he shrugged it off.

"Oh and, just because I healed you doesn't mean I'm your housemaid. You can clean up the mess" she ordered, a small smirk gracing her lips.

"Hey, me and Itachi are the bosses around here, not you" he shot back, but did what she said and started sweeping the glass into the corner and dumping it in the trash.

* * *

Itachi watched from the shadows of the doorway as the two made light conversation, studying her movements specifically. It wasn't until minutes passed that she finally felt his quiet gaze on her and turned around to meet his stern eyes. He could visibly see her body tense up at his mere presence and her voice lost most of its playfulness.

"Oh, Itachi, I didn't see you there." she said, rolling her eyes at him. "You know, its rude to spy on people."

He didn't respond. Her eyes narrowed in response, the softer look instantly morphing to a harsher gaze. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something, and when both of them remained silent Kisame jutted in.

"Ay, pinkie, you better back off."

"Thank you for your suggestion, but I'm going to politely ignore it." she hissed, resting one hand on her hip. Her eyes remained on him, mirroring the stare down they had earlier. This time, however, he was the one to blink and end it.

"I was merely observing the situation. I assure you I did not mean to pry." he explained finally, leaving Kisame with his mouth hanging wide open. Even Sakura seemed to be a little shocked. Her hand fell to her side as she took in a small breath of air, Meanwhile, Kisame was simple staring at him as if he had grown another head. After a couple seconds of silence, Sakura was the first to regain her composure. She gave him a half smile, half smirk.

"Well then, I guess I accept your apology."

"You're mistaken. I was not apologizing."

"Well then, lets pretend you did. Or do you want me to punch you for being a jerk?"

This time, it was his turn to be taken slight aback. Aside from a stray blink, he concealed it completely. _This girl is..exasperating. It is almost refreshing. Annoying, perhaps, but different. I don't recall being talked like that very often. She is a very unique thing to study..but again, it is dangerous to become too distracted.  
_

"Very well" he agreed finally, avoiding an unnecessary fight. "Go back to your room. I have a matter to discuss with my partner" he ordered, giving her a firm look that told her not to argue the matter. He expected her to ignore it, however she walked out of the room without even breaking anything. Far too suspicious.

He waited until her footsteps quieted and then turned around and did a quick search with his sharingan. He could sense her chakra in her room, however he was not ignorant. He noticed her clone almost instantly, lying on the staircase and straining its ears to hear him. He stealthily withdrew a kunai and threw it. The weapon cut through the air cleanly, hitting the clone with a silent precision he had mastered years ago. A pop echoed throughout the house, smoke replacing where the replica had once lay.

"Damn, Itachi. That could have been the girl you know."

He gave his friend a small glance. He had known it wasn't, because Sakura wasn't that stupid. Her efforts had been pointless, but brave at the very least.

"Oh, looks like talkative Itachi went bye bye. Seriously, I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much in one conversation unless it was about strategy. Not to mention you let her talk you down. Nearly had a heart attack you know".

He ignored the statement completely. "Kisame, I need you to take over missions for the next couple of days, starting tomorrow."

"Huh? Cmon, you're better at these stealth things. Why do I have to?"

"I will be busy."

He snorted. "With what? Leader hasn't given you some special solo mission has he?"

"Kisame."

"Pushy, pushy. Alright. You owe me your seafood onigiri for this though!"

Itachi gave a small nod of acknowledgment, finding the arrangement to be simple enough.

Later on, in the confinement of his room, Itachi lay in bed stiffly while studying the ceiling. This was when he often became lost in his thoughts. He refrained from thinking no further into the past than necessary, knowing it did much more harm than good. Instead, he thought of the future. He considered every option and analyzed every possible outcome. But he soon realized his biggest problem; Sakura was an unexpected twist. He couldn't be certain how she would react. Likewise, he couldn't ask her. In these next couple of days, he fully planned on figuring out more about her. That meant observing her. But even worse, it meant he would have to engage in conversation. She wasn't simple enough to just watch.

She wasn't like most people.

* * *

**Authors noteeeee**

1. So as you can see this chapter was full of Itachi's thoughts. A majority of fanfics I've read show good progression with sakura in the way she speaks/feels/acts but with itachi, most of the time its just his actions. They don't usually delve into Itachi's thoughts. That's good because it leaves mystery. But I really want to leave the mystery more about the future. I want to show Itachi's thinking process because he's super intelligent and rational and interesting!

2. Thank you all for reading. I absolutely love you guys. I also love it when you leave reviews, and the more you review and leave criticism and tell me how you think, the quicker I'll update!

3. Also, I'm in the process of writing an original story. I don't plan on this interfering with my posting schedule, but if I am a little late that is probably why.

4. So..any ideas on whats going to happen?


	7. Chapter 7

They had found the battlefield.

The scent of blood was suffocating and the burning and destruction even more so. But the worse part was that they had been far too late.

They had been so close, only to fail.

"I've detected their scents. They've already reached Sasuke's location." Kiba announced.

The one known as Tobi had gotten in their way. He dodged every attack thrown at him, but it wasn't merely speed. In fact, it wasn't by moving at all. He was disappearing in such a way that surpassed the fourth. This technique wasn't a form of teleportation, it was much more convenient. It was as if he transferred his body to an alternate reality until it was safe to return. There didn't seem to be a limit to how many times he could do this, or how much of his body he sent.

It had gotten worse. Much, much worse. It hadn't particularly mattered who was behind the mask until his sharingan made contact with another.

This person had the sharingan.

Could this person be an Uchiha?

Impossible.

They approached the area, unsure of what to find. All they wanted now was to find Sasuke. Instead they found a sea of black flames engulfing the rubble with every wisp of the wind until every last object was no more.

_So that's the Amaterasu. I've never seen it before.._

"Careful" he stated, holding his hand out to halt the others. "That fire wont go out until it completely incinerates everything in it's path."

The area was completely surrounded in these flames, its immense chakra distorting whatever lingered on the inside. Not even Hinata's Byakugan could know.

"Yamato."

"Right. I'm on it" the wood user replied, clapping his hands together in a smooth motion. As the palm of his hand met with the ground, a small portion of the earth literally split into two and gave them a path to walk through.

"Go on, we can proceed now."

"Alright, everyone else follow me." Kakashi ordered, jumping ahead with a determined look crossing both his regular and sharingan eye.

The others followed closely behind, excited to find and save Sasuke. Bringing him home and reuniting team seven was a common goal they all shared. However, no matter how strongly they desired this, it wasn't meant to be.

"Oh man..what do you guys think happened here? I mean..what kind of battle could cause this amount of destruction?"

No one responded because deep down, they all knew.

A battle between Uchiha's.

"I detect no chakra here. Aside from us..there are no one in the area" Hinata explained quietly, disappointment showing through her words. Naruto would be very upset to hear this when they returned.

"There is still a faint trace of scent left.."

"We're too late." Kakashi admitted. His eyes fell to the ground, crashing down with his hopes. He had failed his team once again.

_I'm sorry Naruto..Sakura.._

"Sakura!"

At first, Kakashi thought he had simply imagined someone saying her name in time with his own thoughts. However, he looked up as the voice continued.

"Holy shit! That's **_her_** scent."

Everyone turned to Kiba, but Kakashi was the first to respond.

"..What are you talking about, Kiba?"

"Sakura was here. It's faint..extremely faint. What was she doing here!?"

"You don't think Sasuke.. kidnapped her or something..do you? " Hinata asked softly, just as worried and shocked as the others. Even Sai and Shino showed visible signs of this. But one person in particular was reacting especially troubled.

"No..this scent is in the completely opposite direction of Sasuke. I don't even think the scents enough to follow that damn Uchiha..much less Sakura.." Kiba continued on.

"Do you think she came here of her own accord, Kakashi?" Sai asked, turning towards the elder man. The others eyes followed suddenly. All of them could immediately see the rare look of despair in his eyes as he stared off into the distance.

He had lost Sasuke years ago. The boy had reminded him of when he was younger and he had been greatly disappointed in himself for not stopping him. He had failed the child. He had recklessly taught him a jutsu developed to protect comrades, thinking Sasuke would use it in the same way. Instead, he gave too much power that he hadn't been ready to control. And he hadn't been able to stop him from leaving.

Naruto had been hurt. So very hurt. He had also been very angry. It was understandable; his best friend, someone who he viewed as a brother, had just left. But most of all he had been determined. He had sworn to bring their teammate back.

Kakashi was no optimistic, but for his students he would try to be. Especially for the third student of his.

'Sakura'

She had been heartbroken and devastated beyond belief. She had little confidence in herself beforehand, but she would always do anything for her team. He always admired that about her, even if she was weak at first. Even if she got scared easily and was far too feminine for this lifestyle, she always cared about them. Naruto had annoyed her at first, of course, but it didn't take long for him to warm up to her. And she had always been infatuated with Sasuke.

And she had always looked up to him.

He had been a failure of a sensei, but she had always smiled up him and believed in him. Even when she scolded him for always being late. Even when he specifically failed her. He had neglected her training, paying much more attention to Sasuke and eventually Naruto. Sakura, in contrast, probably learned little from him in their first year. Yet somehow she managed to sincerely forgive him. Apparently he had taught her more than he thought, and was still teaching her every day.

"Even though Tsunade-shishou has taught me how to be a kunoichi, you taught me how to be a person and what to believe in. You taught me to stay strong and to put your comrades above all else. You taught me to not blindly follow a path, but to find for myself what is right. I know you had your hands full with the other two and I don't blame you at all, Kakashi sensei." she had once told him.

"She followed her own path." he said finally, doing nothing but confuse the others.

"Why? Why would she come out here!?" Kiba shouted.

"I think I know why.." Hinata said softly.

"She did it to come after Sasuke, correct?" Sai questioned Kakashi with a mildly curious look in his eyes.

He said nothing at first, stepping closer to the small remainder of flat stone that their scents were mingled around. His callused fingers brushed against the wall, gathering his thoughts. This was where they fell. This was where Itachi died. And this was where Sakura had no doubt stood. But something must have gone wrong if both her and Sasuke were alive and left in separate directions. Either she had come to kill or join their old friend, but neither had happened.

By the looks of this area, Sasuke would have been in no condition to fight back if she chose to attack. Sakura was much stronger than she used to be and a half dead Uchiha wouldn't be able to compete with her, especially considering her exceptional skills when dealing with genjutsu.

_So she had healed him then..but why go separate ways? Did Sasuke spare your life but refuse to return? If so, why have you not returned to Konoha.._

And then it hit him. His expression filled with dread as he suddenly knew what had probably happened.

"There are two possibilities I can think of. First: Tobi had come here shortly after discovering Itachi's death, most likely to capture a weakened Sasuke." he began, his gaze refusing to meet the others. "Sakura would be determined to heal Sasuke. We don't know how injured he was, but considering the destruction surrounding us I would assume it was bad. Bad enough for Sakura to pass out from chakra exhaustion if she had pushed herself too far."

Only Sai seemed to be catching on.

"Sasuke must have awoken before her and left her lying there. Sakura's strength wouldn't have been able to stop Tobi, even if she had been conscience."

He sighed. "The second option is only slightly better. Kisame was probably here, considering his partner is the one dead. Since we don't have anything that carries his scent, we can't be sure."

"How is that any better!? Either way its the akatsuki!" Kiba shouted

"Yes, but if Kisame were the one to take her by himself it is safe to assume that the members of akatsuki are not working together on this matter. That would give her a better opportunity to escape or fight her way through."

"Do you think she can escape the Akatsuki alive?" Sai finally questioned.

"She is a very capable kunoichi. That being said, even the highest ranking of shinobi have trouble dealing with them."

"What is our next move then?"

His hitai-ate had been up for hours, but the battle was over for now and there seemed to be no reason to keep it that way. His eye was tired and draining his chakra more than necessary would not help. He wasn't above pushing himself; he had ended up in the hospital more times than he could count because of it. But this was the akatsuki and he needed to wait until he was actually fighting one of them to do so.

If she wasn't dead yet, she wouldn't be dead if they took a couple extra days to find her. What they needed was a plan and much needed rest.

"We find a place to camp."

"But what about the trail!? It's faint enough as it is, if we wait until morning it will be completely gone!"

"It's been too long already. We know the general direction. If we were to rush off now, we'd end up following a dead trail without a solid plan while half asleep. Right now, we'll go tell Yamato the situation and find a decent place to set up camp."

"Alright.." They all agreed a little reluctantly.

He understood of course. His rationality outweighed his emotions like usual, however he could still feel everything bubbling inside of him. The worry and the fear for her coursed through his entire being. He cared deeply for this particular student of his. At first he had sworn it was because she reminded him of Rin, and used that as an excuse for his reasons in not becoming close to her when she was younger. But that wasn't it at all. Yes, Sakura was a medic nin and had a beautifully caring heart, but they weren't very similar beyond that. She was just Sakura, and although she wasn't in dire need of protection anymore he would always protect her.

He would protect any of comrades, dying for such a thing was his ultimate goal in life. Living until his students were all grown up and Naruto was hokage was another wish of his. Because that boy would make it, and so would Sakura.

Sasuke was the wildcard. Even he couldn't fathom what would become of him next. because his life's goal was complete. Would he return to the village or go further down the path of hatred and vengeance?

"Senpai?" Yamato questioned, noticing the grave look on their faces.

"Let's go find a place for you to build a house. We will discuss matters then."

* * *

Time was little more than an absent blur. It didn't matter. Rotting away forever was somewhat of an appealing aspect, or perhaps he was just in such a state of emptiness that he couldn't find the reason for living. Strange, he had fought so desperately for his life and now he was willing to give it up. He hadn't really been fighting for survival though, but for vengeance. And now he had it.

Maybe that was the reason to continue on. He had avenged his clan. Now he could rebuild what was lost and restore the honor and dignity of the Uchiha. That was his plan all along, yet it was still difficult to rationalize his thoughts. In fact, he didn't want to. He didn't want to think of the future or the past. He didn't want to think.

_Even after your death you haunt me, Itachi._

He had all of this strength and nothing to do with it. With all this overwhelming hatred and loss boiling in his scorched heart, physical power was useless. He had spent these years holding it all back and although it wasn't obvious after the hours had passed, he was still somewhat as broken on the inside as he had been when he woke up to a world free of his wretched brother. He was happy; he told himself that at least. He had fulfilled his life's goal. He had surpassed his evil sibling in a fight to the death. He was alone, but loneliness never felt so good because it was either this or failure.

Sleep had not come to him for more than a few minutes at a time since his battle. Even if he would have slept, nightmares would have surely plagued his mind. The massacre was fresh in his thoughts and flashbacks had been racing through his memory for hours. Dreaming of it would have been disastrous.

Aside from chakra exhaustion and inner turmoil, he wasn't suffering much at all. No ruptured organs as far as he could tell. Of course, he was no medic, but he assumed from years of training that he would know if something was seriously wrong. If his condition had been worse, he may have needed to seek out Karin.

_Team Hebi is no more. Our goal has been accomplished and they are no longer of use to me._

His emotional sulking was, for now, over as well. Despite having little plans for the future, he should simply enjoy a future without the murderer of everyone he ever cared for.

But then, where to go from here?

Konoha was a reasonable option. He had severed any sort of bond with it, but the village had proved to be too softhearted and eager for his return. They were truly idiots to allow a defector back with open arms. There was no doubt he could make jounin and anbu in due time. And if they annoyed him enough it would be easy to leave the place behind again.

Did he want to deal with team seven again? He told himself he didn't; they were a nuisance who could only spit out words of friendship and ties and comrades. They held no respectable power. Naruto would always lack any sort of intelligence and Sakura would always be sickeningly sweet and over obsessively clingy. Kakashi wasn't too bad, albeit a bit annoying and far too laid back.

_Stop thinking about them. _

These bonds were long gone and there was truly no need to think of them. In fact, their very presence was the reason why he wouldn't be returning to the village.

_I could return to Team He-_

No. He held no attachment towards them either. The very thought of them as a team was factually incorrect. Hebi no longer existed.

Sound was out of the option. There was no room to grow stronger in a place like that.

Akatsuki was even more so. He would never, _never_ join such a despicable group. He would not be a replacement for Itachi.

_But..__I do know what I can do._ He chuckled, standing from his crouched position with a new-found purpose as his eyes slowly opened, exposing a blood red sharingan filled with determination. _What will you think of me after this, Konoha?_

* * *

_Time to explore! _

There were three reasons why Sakura chose not to stay in her cramped bedroom for even another second. The first was her reason for almost anything she did here; she needed to learn more about these people. She wanted to find something of importance to report to Konoha when the opportune moment for escape opened up to her.

Next, and perhaps the most understandable, was because of just how utterly _bored _she was. Although she was relieved that the house was down to one akatsuki member, Kisame's presence had at least kept her occupied. Her backpack containing various medical supplies and helpful book references that she had long since memorized had been deserted somewhere in the forest during her brief battle with the previously mentioned shark. Without anyone to talk to or reading material to keep her busy, there really was nothing to do.

Most practical of all was her third reason. She needed clothes. _Clean_ clothes. Which meant she had to find the one person she didn't really want to see.

The only thing that had been in her closet was a plain midnight blue yukata with small decorative white flower petals falling to the bottom; she had refrained from wearing it until absolutely necessary because it was too long and delicate to fight in. But she had spent far too many days in her usual attire and no amount of showering would help when she had to put the same things back on. Now she was stuck wearing it and attempting not to trip as she carefully trotted down the staircase.

_At least it hides my boots and doesn't clash too horribly with my hair. _

After peering into an empty living room and kitchen, she considered that he may be in his bedroom, but she wasn't really in the mood to deal with a repeat of what had happened last time and decided to get comfortable on the couch. Her eyes wandered to the lone window, studying the trees and plants outside. According to the thick forestation and greens, they had to still be in the land of fire. That was odd, considering akatsuki usually kept their distance from Konoha. Especially with her as a prisoner, they had to know people would notice her absence. Why stay here when it was so dangerous? Did they really think themselves invincible?

Or did they want to be easily found? Was this really just about Naruto?

_I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but if only Itachi was easy to find right now. _

Sleep had been hard to come by lately, stressed out about her situation and constantly dwelling on the past, present, and future. She had also wanted to be on guard around the akatsuki. Dying while asleep may seem pleasant to normal people, but to a shinobi it was dishonorable and disappointing unless you had already lived a long life. They seemed adamant on keeping her alive, but she wasn't going to trust them.

Some time between thinking and observing the sway of tree branches her eyes slowly started to close against her will. She must have been more tired than she thought; she had dozed off into a deep slumber without even realizing it.

* * *

Although he had been gone for hours, there was little reason to worry about his captive. All of the proper seals were in place and the chakra was not disrupted. He wasn't even expecting her to exploit his absence; she was far more likely enjoying the alone time away from him.

Itachi also hadn't worried about her snooping. There really wasn't anything in the hideout that would allude to the Akatsuki's plans and he suspected she wouldn't try breaking into that room again. Even if she did, he had personally set up extra defenses against intruders. He should have done so as soon as they brought the girl there, but he hadn't even considered that she would be able to break the original seal.

_I must be extra cautious as we make our next moves. I had never planned for this outcome; I never expected to live. How much do you know, Madara?_

There wasn't a need for excessive worry yet. He had done nothing suspicious since the battle with his brother, but it wasn't only a matter of time. Either Madara would attempt to dispose of him or go behind his back and manipulate Sasuke in order to get what he wants. Itachi would not be able to kill the elder Uchiha with brute force, but he would not be easily defeated if his brother or village were in danger. Much of the future relied not only on him, but on the actions Sasuke and Naruto chose to take.

Sadly, a part of his plan had been foiled. The biggest reason he regretted living was because Sasuke was not able to take his eyes. Gaining the eternal mangekyou sharingan would have not only given his brother immense power, but would have also activated Naruto's part in much of this.

Although he didn't understand why, the fact remained that he was still alive for a reason. He truly believed this wasn't a coincidence. There was no room for him to wish he had died because what was done could not be undone. If he still had a part to play that benefited his cause, he would accept it unconditionally.

Even from the outside the house seemed peaceful. Perhaps because his partner wasn't around. He didn't mind Kisame's presence, in fact he was the closest thing to a friend he's had in a long time. Years spent fighting along someone tended to do that, although thankfully he was good at controlling his personal feelings because aside from his determination with Sasuke and Konoha, they hadn't mattered in a long time.

He quietly stepped inside, instantly surprised to see the girl sprawled out on the couch and apparently asleep. Approaching her silently, he observed her sleeping figure. She looked just as peaceful as the house had appeared. It was hardly a look he expected from her, considering her situation. He had only seen her angry. Even when he had put her to sleep with his sharingan and brought her to her room she had only looked uncomfortable and vulnerable. Never peaceful.

It shouldn't have mattered to him, but seeing that look gave him a sense of hope. He would never forgive himself for the many mistakes and choices he made throughout his life, nor would he allow himself to think of them right now, but seeing good in the world was refreshing.

He noticed that she was not wearing her usual attire; she wore a deep blue yukata covered in delicate white petals It was long enough on her to act as a blanket. After studying the pattern for a moment, he realized he had seen another wear the exact same piece of clothing a couple of years ago when the Akatsuki had an assignment at a festival. This had been Konans. She must have left it here and thought nothing of it.

Although surprised to see her wearing it, it didn't take long for him to figure out why. She had only one outfit, after all.

He let her rest, tugging off his akatsuki cloak and laying it on the back of the couch, and chose to start making dinner. He didn't mind. Kisame was a hopeless cook and when he had first left the man in charge of food, he felt sick for day. Since then the duty had switched to him. He forced himself not to think of where he had learned to cook because he knew the good memories would only bring more guilt.

He glanced at the food in the fridge which was well stocked because he had gone shopping the day before last. He instantly knew what to make and didn't have to think much of how to do so. By now, preparing food was little more than a habit. Time ticked by quicker than he thought, and a couple hours later had passed in the blink of an eye. As he poured food into two separate bowls, she suddenly made her presence known. She had likely just woken up if the yawn that passed her lips was any indication.

He said nothing, and for a moment neither did she. It wasn't until both bowls were placed on the table and both people sat down that one of them spoke.

"Udon?" she questioned, looking into the contents of her bowl.

"Yes."

She seemed hesitant to eat, although he couldn't discern the reason why. Something seemed to be on her mind and she didn't look very happy.

"I want to go into town."

He raised an eyebrow, suggesting she clarify. That only seemed to anger her more, and he couldn't help but wonder what happened to that peaceful look he had seen on her before.

"I need to go shopping for some clothes. I'm guessing you have a whole bunch of money stocked away in your Akatsuki funds, and as much as I hate to spend such evil money I don't think I have much of a choice." she pointed out, crossing her arms. "And I really don't think you'll lose much. I'm not an idiot; I'm not going to try and run away. I just want some damn clothes!"

"Eat." was his only response.

She grumbled a bit and stared at him, as if saying she'd rather starve herself than do what he said.

"You'll calm down after eating."

"I am perfectly calm considering that I'm a prisoner. You should be grateful I'm not lashing out and trying to kill you every two seconds, and _trust me_ I want to."

"Eat."

"Make me!"

In an instant he was out of his chair and directly beside her. He had done it so silently that she hadn't even heard the chair move, much less himself. He noticed her back away into her seat, leaning away from him as if the proximity burned her. She was probably expecting him to attack her in some way, possibly torture her with his sharingan. He decided that moment to look into her narrowed, furious eyes. But even if she was afraid, she didn't cower away or show any signs of fear.

"Back off." she spat.

He reached for her chopsticks that lay flat and unused, dipping the ends into the bowl and picking out some noodles before placing them right in front of her lips.

The angry look in her eyes vanished almost instantly, replaced by a look of incredulous shock.

"W-What..the hell.."

He pushed the top closer to her lips, trying to forcefully part them. "I am making you eat."

The fury was back twenty fold. Perhaps a hundred fold. He could see the gleam in her eyes glaze over with hatred and..something else. Before he could contemplate it further he noticed a movement to the side and attempted to sidestep what he was expecting to be punch. No matter how quick he was, however, he didn't have the space to move fully out of the way while in this position. It wasn't until the attack connected that he realized that it wasn't her fist, but a searing hot bowl of udon.

* * *

She had been _furious._ Absolutely, positively _enraged. _How _dare he _act like that? It didn't matter if she ate or not. Truthfully, she was hungry and normally she would have eaten despite her imprisonment. She highly doubted there was any ill intentions on his part. She was still here for a reason and poisoning her wouldn't have solved anything.

Her nap hadn't been very pleasant. Although her dream started out nice, she couldn't remember it. When she woke up, the only thing she remembered was the nightmare that had transformed from it. It had left her in a cranky mood, proven by her stubbornness right now.

Her instincts took over any rational thought about how the man in front of her may actually ignore all akatsuki plans and kill her after what she did next. Tossing a bowl of soup might sound childish, but it was the easiest way to get him to leave her alone at that moment. He tried to escape, however she threw it with the force and speed of any other weapon. She watched as he quickly backed away and as soon as distance separated the two he returned to a calm, emotionless state. This reaction was completely unexpected; she thought he would lash out on her as soon as it happened.

The bowl shattered with the amount of chakra she used, although she didn't truthfully mean to use any. Most of the pieces fell to the kitchen floor, but she noticed tears in the shirt he was wearing.

That was when she realized he wasn't wearing his akatsuki cloak. Normally she wouldn't have cared, however the realization that she had just tossed a steaming hot bowl at his very exposed self just hit her. Wearing a heavy cloak would have blocked most of the blow, however a thin shirt would do nothing.

_How did I not notice? This is the first time he's ever been around me without it. Changes, no matter how small, are things I should notice immediately.._

He didn't show any signs of discomfort, but she knew without a doubt he had to be immense pain.

"..I apologize for upsetting you." he said finally, watching her with a carefully guarded expression. She felt like there must be something underneath that gaze, but rationally she knew there probably wasn't anything except maybe a hidden anger. She should be glad that she managed to hit him with something like that. He, an S ranked missing nin who slaughtered his entire clan and escaped with little more than a scratch or two, had been fairly seriously injured by none other than her. This was good.

So why did she feel bad?

Her guilty conscience would probably be the death of her one day. He was the enemy, and more than anyone else he deserved it. The simple fact that he hadn't attacked her first shouldn't matter at all. He was her captor for kami's sake. This was a great opportunity; Kisame wasn't here and he was injured. This was a chance to fight him off and attempt to escape!

She stood up from the table, approaching him. Itachi Uchiha.

"No..I.." she started, starting to hesitantly reach out before changing her mind and lowering her hand. "I shouldn't have done that."

"You should have." he corrected. "You are clever, kunoichi"

"My name is Sakura."

"I know."

"Then please use it. I don't like being called _girl _or _kunoichi_"

"Hm.."

She sighed softly, inspecting the injury through his shirt. It was soaked with broth but was deepening to a crimson red. Blood.

"Take it off." she ordered finally, her tone of voice changing into medic mode.

A look of utter confusion flashed in his eyes, proving that he did indeed feel some sort of emotion. She just had to look deep into his eyes to figure it out..although it was hard. His sharingan masked almost everything. The piercing red constantly looked empty except for flashes of certain things.

"Take off your shirt. I need to inspect the burn."

"..That is not necessary."

"Yes it is" she pushed. "I'm a medic and I will not sit here and let the injury worsen when I can easily take care of it."

He said nothing at first, and in an attempt to make him give in she gave him a hard, stubborn stare. Their eyes locked, and although no emotion revealed itself in his eyes this time, she felt as if she were being studied. His eyes ran over her, but it wasn't like others who would judge her body. This had nothing to do with her appearance. It was strange and she wasn't sure she liked or disliked it. Time ticked on and he still wouldn't say anything.

_He should be grateful I'm even offering.._

"I'm not plotting anything in an attempt to escape, if that's why you're hesitating. I just want to heal you."

"This may be your only chance at escaping."

She shook her head stubbornly. "This isn't a good chance."

He continued to stare at her for a full minute before giving her a small nod and carefully peeling off the first layer of his shirt and revealing a second mesh one underneath. She could see through it and every muscle that lay underneath, a thin scar or two, and every ripple of skin. But most importantly she could see the burn she had given him. It half melted the mesh around it, not to mention the fact that it was covered in blood from the shattered bowl. The food had been hotter than she thought and this was a serious burn.

He started to attempt taking off his mesh shirt, but she quickly stopped him and used her chakra to carefully cut away the fabric and pull it off. After delicately removing it from his skin, her hands instantly moved to the burn and began to glow with healing chakra.

"I can't believe you're not reacting more to this. I mean, I know you act like some emotionless, unfeeling zombie, but anyone would feel this kind of pain." she said, mostly to herself, and looked up at him. "Come on, go lay on the couch."

"I'm fine here."

"No, you're not. Now go lay down. I'm the medic."

He said nothing, but did as she said and walked into the living room. That was when she noticed his cloak on the couch. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it there when she woke up. She then realized he had seen her sleeping and wasn't sure how to feel about that. She didn't think more about it and instead got back to work on his injury once he sat (he was apparently too stubborn to lay like she said) down.

"Although you did not eat like I insisted, you appear to be calm now." he stated, making her realize that the situation had still turned in his favor. Reluctantly, she admitted to herself that this was for the best. She had been completely out of control and her emotions had been raging over something silly.

"I guess so. Will you tell me if I can go into town?"

"Yes."

"Yes you'll tell me, or yes I can?"

"..Both."

"When?"

"We'll go tomorrow."

"Ugh, what am I going to sleep in tonight..I don't want to wear this to sleep if I'm going to be wearing it tomorrow.." She contemplated this, not expecting him to respond. She especially wasn't expecting to hear what he said next. She hated to admit it, but his words made her cheeks turn a bright red.

"I have something you can wear."

* * *

**Authors note**

1. This chapter turned out completely different then I had originally imagined, and I am so happy I decided to add this part in.

2. I know this is late and I am SO sorry. On sunday I had been working on an AMV and on monday I finally got naruto uns3. It's a video game for those who don't know. I've been waiting to get it for months and didn't stop playing until I beat it. But as soon as I beat it I wrote this and it definitely helped be get into an itachi mood when lately I've been in a madara mood.

3. I love you all so much, but I'd like to dedicate this chapter specifically to **TrinityHale**. Here is an amazing person, fan, and dedicated reader who is super sweet and amazing..I already said amazing but you get the point 3

4. Theres a lot of unknown in this chapter. What is sasuke going to do? Where's naruto? Where was Itachi? What is madara planning?

5. Oh and also, I plan on adding a bit of love triangle tension with another character much later on. Just one. The other boys will be more of a brother/friend to her, but one of them is going to develop a little more than friendship. Who do you think it will be?


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **For anyone following this story, I have **a lot **to apologize for. I never, ever meant for such a long time gap in between chapters, but for several weeks I couldn't write at all. Figuratively and literally. A lot of..unlucky things have been going on in my life lately. I went through I really bad break up..health scares..really pushy guys trying to get lucky. Family problems..a big move. The details are a bore and not really important, but basically life sucked out my appeal for writing and gave me a major writers block. About a week ago my writers block disappeared, but then I lost my internet for awhile. And then I got really into a kakasaku fic I wrote out a plan for (but do not intend on starting it until I'm back into a good rhythm for this fic and have spare time..which probably wont be for months). I also did not plan for this chapter to be so short, but alas spending time away from the story helped give me new ideas and I felt this an appropriate place to end it.

Updates will probably not be once a week again due to school starting for me in three days. I'm a junior now and am taking 4 AP classes, and will probably be getting a job in this new town soon. So beware. I iwll try and go for every 2 weeks, but I can't make any promises.

I do intend, however, to finish this fic. I promise I wont give up so easily! Once it progresses into the romantic stage (not for several chapters) I will have an easier time because I have a lot more planned out for that..especially the ending chapters. Hehehehe...

Anyways, I apologize once more for the long span between chapters. Please, please do review if you have any thoughts. Hearing from a few people is truthfully what got me out of my writers block, and I appreciate it so much.

Now here you go!

* * *

"There is no way I'm wearing that tomorrow."

After they made a second, this time successful, attempt to eat dinner without breaking anything or killing one another, Itachi had led her upstairs to give her something to wear. She had expected it to be typical boy clothes. It wasn't as if it excited her; wearing anything the man had touched, much less ever wore, was a disturbing circumstance she'd rather not be placed in. She may have healed him, but that didn't mean she suddenly liked him. He was still the same menacing, evil murderer and Akatsuki member who had betrayed his brother and village. Her guilty conscience had simply taken over at the time. She had, after all, lost her temper and felt the need to at least apologize for her crazy outburst. It wasn't as if he had attempted to take a peak like a pervert or made insulting comments toward her -albeit unintentional- like Naruto or Sai. He really didn't deserve to be healed, however instinct had outweighed any personal dislike for the man.

She wasn't sure if he had been in so much pain earlier that he had become permanently delusional, or if he actually believed she would willing wear that piece of filth he held out to her.

"There is nothing wrong with it."

"Nothing wrong with it? It's _Akatsuki."_

She noticed a slight frown on his lips replacing a usually neutral expression as he held it out further towards her.

"Wearing that cloak would be a direct betrayal of Konoha, no matter the reason."

Sakura swore his lip twitched slightly as if he found some humor in her very serious words. It was highly possible she had just imagined it, along with every other expression of even slight emotion he sometimes gave. He was too evil for it to be true.

_Idiot, fish face is even more expressive and has lots of emotion. He is evil too._

_Yeah, but Itachi is..Itachi. _

_Oh come on, cut the crap. You've healed both of them. You obviously don't hate them as much as you say._

_Neither of them attacked me first. They haven't hurt me at all yet. That's the __**only **__reason I was so kind._

"If you choose not to wear it tomorrow then I will go out to town by myself and pick things up for you." he offered, interrupting her inner argument.

She _really _hated being ordered around by the enemy. It was even worse when they gave her the chance to decide between two horrible options. Either way she would end up miserable. Either she wears the cloak and pretends to be the very organization she hates, or she lets him pick out clothes that she will probably hate. It wasn't about fashion, it was about practicality. He would probably purposefully pick up something far too feminine that she would have trouble fighting in, not to mention it would be uncomfortable to wear if it was too revealing.

Of course, there was still the chance he would make her get something like that whether she was with him or not, but at least being there would give her hope. Being able to walk around outside would also be a nice change of scenery.

Although unhappy with the situation she was in, she reluctantly reached out and snatched the folded fabric out of his hand.

"Fine. I'll wear it." she stubbornly agreed, turning around suddenly and walking back towards her room in an effective way to end the conversation.

* * *

Thankfully, she made it through the entire night without any bad dreams. The nightmare didn't come until a couple minutes after waking up when she decided to get dressed and remembered what she had to wear. She picked up the cloak, noticing their was more clothing folded underneath.

_Duh. I can't exactly run around naked with just a cloak on. _The notion disturbed her in so many ways that she quickly forced it out of her mind.

He had given her a high collared short sleeved deep gray shirt and matching pants that she quickly unfolded to observe. It was clearly his, yet it was smaller, older, and more her size. After studying the material a bit longer, she realized that the style was very similar to what Sasuke used to wear years ago. Wearing something belonging to Itachi, something that would also be reminding her of the pain in her heart Sasuke caused, was too much to bear; as much of a dream as wearing Sasuke's clothes had once been, now even if it was really his it would just upset her even more.

She let out an annoyed sigh, knowing this wasn't going to work. Wearing the Akatuski robes _and _this was too much. But..

She reached over to her bedside and wrapped her fingers around the lone kunai they hadn't taken away from her. _Odd that they let me keep it._

_Hm..First.. _she carefully cut along the collar's seam until it was nothing more than a scrap piece of fabric. With that out of the way, she moved towards the neckline and paused for a bit before reaching the conclusion that a v-neck would be easiest. She ended up cutting it a bit too low, but what little she had to show would be hidden by her cloak anyways. Finally, she decided to do away with the sleeves and make it more like her vest, trimming it until satisfied with the entire shirt.

She considered making shorts out of the pants she was given, but decided against it. She could tell by looking at them that they would be tight enough and there was no need to draw attention to herself in such a way.

Once trying on her newly carved set of clothes, she had to admit they didn't look that bad now. She had never been much of a pants person, always preferring shorts or skirts, and the color was too plain and didn't have even a splash of red, but it looked nice. Simple. It was a shame she had to cover it up with a cloak that represented the very same organization out to destroy her best friend and village in the process. She considered altering it as well but was fairly certain that would get her nowhere. Even if she changed it into a pretty pink dress, the fact remained that the cloth was probably soaked in bloodshed and death.

Then again, the clothes she now wore probably were too. _Don't think about it._

Putting it on had been a painful process emotionally, but eventually she managed to stop hesitating and squirming and threw it on anyways. She couldn't help but flinch when she looked at herself in the mirror. The image would forever be burned into her subconscious and she didn't like it one bit. Even fashionably speaking, it looked awful on her. She was by no means innocent, but she was not a merciless killer and she shouldn't be wearing this like she was. She almost tore it right off but knew she had no choice but to wear it. _I'm sure he'll get a kick from it though. I mean that literally too; if he even tries joking about it i might just kick him where it hurts._

She wasn't sure what to do with her hitai-ate. It wouldn't be good for someone to see another konoha shinobi in Akatsuki, but it would distinguish herself from any other member if one of her friends came looking for her. They wouldn't be asking around for a girl in Akatsuki, they would be looking for a girl who looked like a prisoner. She decided it was best to leave it on and hope that this didn't suddenly give her village unwanted gossip and a bad name.

Slipping her boots on and stashing away her kunai, she made her way downstairs and wasn't surprised to see Itachi sitting there waiting. Crimson met bright green as they held their gazes for a moment. He seemed to quickly scan over her appearance before standing up and breaking the connection.

"Follow me. We will be traveling for a couple of hours." was all he said before walking out the front door and expecting her to do the same.

* * *

He was not in a pleasant mood, but had remained calm as always and easily kept his emotions at bay; he had perfected the textbook definition of a true shinobi years ago. Akatsuki was planning something again in order to obtain the kyuubi. It wasn't in the least bit surprising, but he had hoped his plans to use the girl as bait would keep Madara's restlessness at bay. But whatever he was planning wouldn't be acted on for at least a month, perhaps two or three, and by that time he would surely have more knowledge on the matter.

Compartmentalizing the issues to separate parts of his mind was a useful tactic he had developed at a young age when forced to deal with the war he had seen. It allowed him to remain indifferent and focusing on current matters, which was useful as Sakura came walking down the stairs.

He observed her outfit, making sure she had worn what was given, but was surprised when he felt something other than content. Even after quickly looking her over once more, he was still unsure as to what was troubling him. She had done just as he said; although the cloak was too long on her to see what she wore underneath, he assumed she had worn what she was given. He turned around and started walking out, appearing indifferent.

Nothing about the cloak was unusual, and if it were surely he would have noticed instantly. It was, after all, his spare cloak. It may not have fit her perfectly, but even so that wouldn't have mattered to him. She didn't seem to be hiding anything suspicious. It was completely normal.

So why was it bothering him?

"Itachi?"

He didn't turn around, nor did he speak. She seemed to have taken this as an invitation to continue whatever she had to say, because she didn't even hesitate or wait for a response from him.

"You shouldn't underestimate me."

He hadn't been expecting that at all, which was evident in the small glance he gave her that urged her to continue. Under normal circumstances he would have just ignored it and let her say whatever she wanted until she was finished, like he often did when Kisame would tease or joke around. But she wasn't Kisame and oddly enough, he was actually curious about how her mind worked.

"By letting me keep my kunai, you're basically saying there is nothing I can do to escape whether or not I have a weapon."

That wasn't an interesting way to interpret it. In fact, it was predictable. She may never realize it, but she was a roller coaster of mystery.

"The latter part is undeniably true."

"And there you go underestimating me again."

"If that is how you perceive it."

His words seemed to surprised her enough to make her stop running. She landed a couple branches behind him, forcing him to wait until finally she caught up.

"What?"

"My words held a different meaning."

"That doesn't make any sense."

He waited for her to come up with the explanation on her own, but she just stared at him with confusion. He was rather disappointed that she couldn't figure it out. It was already apparent that she was intelligent and very analytical, and yet oddly enough she didn't understand such a simple thing.

"I left you with nothing more than a kunai because it is all you would need to take out your opponent, assuming you come in contact with one. You are not merely a medic, but also a fairly adept kunoichi. "

Her eyes bore into his and he returned it with a blank expression, watching as her emotions changed from anger, to confusion, to complete disbelief.

"How would you know?" She questioned skeptically after overcoming her initial shock.

For a moment he considered if he should even respond to such a question, but there was little reason not to. "I observed your spar with Kisame."

"Oh really? I was under the impression that you came just in time to save your partner."

"Hm.."

He picked up speed once more, dashing through the trees and aware of her following behind. He was prepared to chase after her should she attempt to escape, but to his surprise she did no such thing. _Strange.._

* * *

"That one." Sakura observed the clothing shop nearest to them, deeming it fit enough for her needs. Thankfully she received a nod of okay from Itachi, because after what happened on their way here she didn't really want to argue with him.

She had been surprised to hear some sort of praise from him, all things considered. From what she knew of the uchiha, they weren't the kindest apples in the bunch. This was equivalent to hearing Sasuke compliment her. Actually, it was even weirder because Itachi was nothing more than a traitorous enemy. But..he was also one of the most skilled shinobi of their time. He gave her own sensei trouble, proof enough of his power. She felt sick to admit it, but hearing him say he knew she could handle herself had been..nice. She didn't need praise; she knew where she was at in terms of strength. But it wasn't that bad to hear it, even if she had heard it from someone like him.

She shook her head slightly, instead focusing on the store in front of her as she walked in. This was a civilian town and she wouldn't be finding appropriate ninja clothes, however she knew how to make do with regular outfits. As long as they were comfortable and tight enough to not get in the way, she would be fine.

As she looked through racks of different material and sizes, politely telling the few saleswomen who approached her that she didn't need help finding anything, she began to think this store had nothing of use to her. Everything was frilly, far too revealing, or an ugly brown. She remained calm on the outside, but inner Sakura was getting annoyed. Surely not every girl in the town wore stuff like this..

When she shoved a black miniskirt to the very end of the pole with a little too much force was the moment her captor decided to interfere.

"What specifically are you looking for?"

She studied his expression - or lack thereof - for a second. He didn't appear impatient or angry. He looked like a whole lot of nothing. The deep red of his eyes guarded whatever secrets were behind them, there was no faint glimmer this time.

"I doubt you could find anything quicker than I can. I've been shopping for years..my best frien-" When she realized she was about to talk about something personal she quickly ended the sentence, however he didn't seem to take notice or care.

"Answer the question."

A sigh escaped her lips, but with a small shrug she did as told.

"Nothing too loose or tight. Since I doubt you'll tell me where we may be heading, a pair of pants and shorts would be preferable. A vest; the less sleeve the better. Any bright colors will do..but I'm sure you know what I'd prefer. Really, anything similar to my usual outfit would be nice."

She noticed him give a tiny scan of the area, and she shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, really, but there's no way you'll-"

Before she could finish speaking he approached a rack she had already searched through and to her amazement pulled out a dark green pair of pants that looked like they'd fit her perfectly. He casually tossed it to her, continued looking, and within minutes filled her arms with various pinks, reds, greens, and black that had been closer to her description then she had ever expected.

"Wow. How did you find all of that so quickly..?"

He tilted his head towards her, an empty crimson pouring into her own green eyes, and if he was even planning on answering she had beat him to it.

"Oh. Of course, the sharingan. I never really thought it could be use for anything except.."

"Murder." he finished, not glancing away for even a second.

The word caught her off guard; not only was it incredibly blunt but also spoken in public. She looked around, seeing if anyone had overheard the conversation. It would have been a useful opportunity to escape, perhaps, but no one had noticed and if they did it would have been one she would have given up. She wasn't ready to leave yet, after all.

"Well, no. I've seen the sharingan save lives more than I've seen kill them. Back when we needed protecting, Kakashi sensei was usually the one to do it."

His expression gave nothing away, leaving her to only guess what he was thinking. Kakashi had spoken highly of Itachi's skills before; perhaps this was a situation of mutual respect for your enemy. If this was true, he didn't voice it. It was possible that he simply didn't care.

"Anyways. I have some more things to look for..girl stuff. Excuse me..." she trailed off, leaving for the more private section of the store after receiving a small nod.

At least this was something easier to shop for. She instantly skipped past the impractical lingerie and uncomfortably lacy things, instead going for the various comfortable counterparts. She made sure not to take too long, lest the infamous Uchiha come bother her while she was surrounded by such frivolities.

It was still there when she reached the register, feeling Itachi's gaze on her as he stood off to the side, but now it was on the women ringing up her items.

Sakura could not see the shoes she wore, however she knew instantly they must have been as designer as the pale pink blouse that dipped down low and cut off high, with lace underneath in places she shouldn't even be able to see. A clunky necklace, disrespectful to the name of accessory given the blatant view of bright sea blue that popped even more than her chest, hung at her neck and matched the pearly color of her eyes that were neatly hidden behind a deep brown and dark mascara. Framing her powdered face was golden yellow hair that would have been almost as beautiful as the pale blonde of Ino's had it not looked firm to the touch and straighter than a pin. Her name tag read Saika.

She placed her more conservative items on the counter, watching as the woman leisurely took each piece as if she'd done so thousands of times.

"You're one of those ninja, aren't you? I can tell by that headband of yours. Personally, I wouldn't dye your hair pink and wear that shade of red, it's just too much. Maybe a splash of green would compliment it well."

Not only was she screaming vibes of prima donna, she was also fairly rude. Although, admittedly, Sakura had dealt with worse. Not to mention she was civilian, someone who carried a whole different perspective on life.

"My hair isn't dyed, but thank you for the advice." she responded with a polite smile.

"Oh, really? Horrible luck must run in your family then. I can't imagine having to deal with such a clashing color."

"It is a hard color to work with."

"Why don't you dye it? You would look amazing as a brunette, and we have tons of colors to choose from!"

"No thanks." According to a henge, she looked awful with brown hair anyways.

"Alriiiight" she reprimanded silently with a shrug, holding out her hand and asking for the required payment. This was Itachi's turn to step in, but when he didn't she turned around to ask him for the money. What her eyes saw surprised her so much that for a moment she didn't know how to react.

"Um.." She muttered quietly looking back over at the woman and, without any hesitation, reached out for the bag in her hands.

"Hey! Where's my ryo?"

"I'll try and come back to pay you, don't worry!" she shouted back, bolting from the store despite feeling guilty for stealing from these people. She had half a mind to return to Konoha right now, but she meant what she said. She would try her hardest to come back and give them their money.

That is, if she could find Itachi.


End file.
